


Rainbow Pollination

by NerdButton



Category: RWBY
Genre: Ambiguous Enabler - Freeform, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship - Pollination - Freeform, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Hijinks & Shenanigans, JanuRWBY, Mild Hurt/Comfort, OT4, OT5, Polyamory, Rainbow Pollination, Trans Blake Belladonna, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:22:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 54,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28722072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdButton/pseuds/NerdButton
Summary: "We were saying that Ilia should come with us to Atlas, that's all."Weiss hums an agreement, which prompts Ruby's focus towards the girl in question, Ilia shrinking only a little at suddenly being the centre of attention. She's still balanced up on the railing, and Weiss looks a second away from tugging her down. It's more amusing than it really should be, how exasperated Weiss looks at her leader's actions; and there's a little something else there, something Ilia can't quite put a finger on.Mirth, maybe?And well, now there are three pretty girls staring at her expectantly and Ilia is only one, small gay. Her answer comes out just a little bit strangled, and definitely somewhat clipped, but no one seems to notice."Okay."Healing takes time.It takes even longer, when there's multiple hearts in the mix. Ilia thought she'd lost Blake years ago, but not everyone who is lost is gone forever.And sometimes second chances bring more than a first ever could.Written for JanuRWBY, prompts I've chosen are "Time Period" and "Side Character".
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna/Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee/Yang Xiao Long, Blake Belladonna/Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Ilia Amitola/Blake Belladonna, Ilia Amitola/Blake Belladonna/Weiss Schnee/Yang Xiao Long/Ruby Rose, Ilia Amitola/Ruby Rose, Ilia Amitola/Weiss Schnee, Ilia Amitola/Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee, Weiss Schnee/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 240
Kudos: 277





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an exploration of how Pollination would work with Modern!RWBY. No hate to the amazing fanfic writers out there, but pretty much all pollination fics are centered around Beacon Days and while that's 100% valid - and I am also guilty of it - I want to see how it could be applied to the later volumes when the girls have been scattered around Remnant and then have to reconcile. 
> 
> So, why not use JanuRWBY to do it? I decided to pick "time period" and "side character" as my prompts to chuck one of my faves into the mix too - Ilia. I know that _technically_ "time period" was an AU prompt but this sort of counts! It's set from her point of view, from the start of volume 6 where she instead decides to tag along with the team to Atlas, and follows her as she is slowly integrated into a healing team RWBY. I was under the impression that rainbow pollination was an existing ship, but after a few searches I was unable to find anything for it? So, if anyone has read anything involving this combo by all means please drop me a link in the comments. And as a result, and to go with my established theming for OT5 stories, I'm gonna go ahead and have "Rainbow Pollination" as the working title for this story. I might change it later if I come up with something I like better. 
> 
> You can read this as being set in the same universe as Pumpkin Pollination, where it's the same team RWBY that had their little fling with Pyrrha back in Beacon. As is the standard for my pollination fics, the relationship between Ruby and Yang is left ambiguous. I don't write anything explicit involving them both, but I'm also not going out of my way to rule it out. Remnant's a fucked up world, there's bigger problems for them to be dealing with and I'll leave it to the reader to decide how close they are. Be mature about it, this will be the only warning I give to everyone reading not to act up. Blake is trans in this story too, because I'm starting to quite like that fanon of her. 
> 
> The rating of this story may change depending on whether I decide to make it sexy at the end, we shall see.
> 
> As always, I appreciate kudos and comments! Let me know what you think, and if there's interest in this story!
> 
> I can be found on Tumblr, drop me a message if you come from here to let me know :) @shallitickleyournerdbutton
> 
> Enjoy!

"I wish you didn't have to go."

"I know. But my team needs me."

Ilia feels Blake begin to pull back from the hug, and she hates how she still tries to hold her close, breaking away after another too-long second to look up her old friend. Blake must know something of the hidden feelings still swirling away inside her, as she moves just that little bit closer into Ilia's space, inclining her head with a conspiratorial smile.

"You could come with us. I'm sure my parents have the situation here under control."

And whatever answer Ilia had ready on her tongue - a refusal? An acceptance? - she doesn't get the chance to voice it, as another sounds from somewhere over Blake's shoulder in her place.

"She's right, you know. Plenty of room on the train."

Blake turns to greet the newcomer, and with that motion allows Ilia a view past her as well. Weiss Schnee continues to approach, halting mere inches from pressing against Blake's side, close enough that it almost seemed like she was moving in for an embrace for a moment, stopping just short. A hand hovers by Blake's elbow and Ilia expects it to fall back to Weiss' side, only for it finish its motion and land firmly yet naturally at the spot where hip meets lower back. Blake doesn't appear to mind the close proximity or the touching, angling away from Ilia and towards Weiss with a soft smile.

It's a familiar expression. It's an expression Ilia wishes Blake would send her direction, and confusing in a whole other way - Ilia hasn't spent much time around Blake and her new team, but the impression she had gotten was that it was the blonde girl Blake had some sort of thing with.

Ah, well. Ilia's been wrong before.

But still, she can't stop a little tenseness pressing on her shoulders at the new presence, despite Blake's reassurances about the former Schnee heiress when she had come up, very briefly, in their conversation.

_"That's Weiss--_

_"Schnee?"_

_"She's... she's more than her name, I promise."_

Admittedly, what Ilia knows of Weiss herself has come from significantly less reliable sources; sparse news reports on the SDC featuring mentions of the heiress at the time, occasional rumours floating through the White Fang, and the odd tabloid.

Certainly nothing as worthy as a vouching from someone she already trusts, and that _wasn't_ including the fact that Weiss' appearance alone has relaxed Blake in a way she can't recall seeing for a long time. Weiss' hand is still on Blake's hip, and she doesn't seem to have any intention of moving it. They share a look with one another - familiar and tender and ignorant to watching eyes, and it allows Ilia the chance to look at Weiss properly without being watched back. Her gaze falls to the bloody hole in the smaller girl's dress where she had apparently been impaled during the battle at Haven, surprised that someone like Weiss wouldn't be bothered by wearing damaged and soiled clothes.

_"She's more than her name, I promise..."_

Ilia doesn't know Weiss, but Blake does. And, it seems they're rather close indeed. Honestly, Ilia doesn't know how to feel about that, so instead she decides simply not to.

It's a task made easier by the emergence of yet another of Blake's team members, a gust of wind and a sprinkling of rose petals over their group preceding the sudden appearance of the red one of Blake's friends, the girl balancing precariously on the railing directly to Ilia's right.

_What was her name again? Rouge? Dammit, Ilia pay better attention. You were a spy, for Brothers sake..._

"Ruby! No semblances in the train station!"

_Ah, yes. Ruby. That's it._

"We saved these guys, Weiss. I think I get to use my semblance if I want!"

"That's literally not the point at all..."

"Yea, yea. You guys were taking ages, I was feeling left out."

"You were with Yang and the others, _how_ were you left out?"

At the corner of her eye, Ilia notices Blake flinch - a slight thing, but definitely there. She wants to ask about it, just not in front of their audience. Weiss and Ruby continue bickering a little in the background, and Ilia is too distracted with her curious scanning of Blake to notice when they finally finish, only tuning back in when Blake speaks again.

"We were saying that Ilia should come with us to Atlas, that's all."

Weiss hums an agreement, which prompts Ruby's focus towards the girl in question, Ilia shrinking only a little at suddenly being the centre of attention. She's still balanced up on the railing, and Weiss looks a second away from tugging her down. It's more amusing than it really should be, how exasperated Weiss looks at her leader's actions; and there's a little something else there, something Ilia can't quite put a finger on.

Mirth, maybe?

And well, now there are three pretty girls staring at her expectantly and Ilia is only one, small gay. Her answer comes out just a little bit strangled, and definitely somewhat clipped, but no one seems to notice.

"Okay."

Ruby beams brilliantly at the acceptance, finally hopping down from her perch on the railing to squee with her hands by her face. Actually squee! Ilia has never seen someone do that in real life, before now.

It's... endearing, even if she'd never admit it.

"Yay! New friends! I'm sure you have embarrassing stories about Blake, you knew her when she was younger, right? She's so mysterious, I can't wait to hear all the things she's too cool to tell us--"

"Ruby..." Blake warns, tone low but offset by the easy smile on her face, as she shakes her head in a 'stop' sort of way.

It works, as it seems to serve as a reminder to the bubbly girl about where they are and what they're there for, and she finally moves back out of Ilia's personal space to spin and face Blake. Without warning, she reaches out and grabs ahold of one of Blake's hands in both of her own, walking backwards and bodily dragging her _mysterious_ teammate towards the stairs down to the main platform.

"I almost forgot, I have a present for you~"

Once again, Ilia has to shake away confusion, and only the slightest bite of jealousy, as she watches them go - Blake was never so friendly with anyone as to allow herself to be grabbed and dragged around. Not even with Adam, even when they had been together.

And sure, it's been a few years and maybe she's changed in that time, but Blake doesn't seem all _that_ different. Yet, Ilia watches on as Blake uses the grip Ruby has on her to tug the other girl closer to her side, the two of them falling into a more natural side-by-side position as they breach the top of the stairs, still holding hands.

It doesn't escape her notice that Blake leans in to press a little kiss against Ruby's temple, right before they disappear out of view.

_Huh. Maybe she's dating Ruby instead and Weiss is just a friend?_

Already Ilia can feel herself developing a headache, the slightest discomfort beginning to bloom at the realisation she may know Blake a lot less than she had thought, already rethinking her hasty decision to tag along on the mission to Atlas. Two years is quite a long time in this awful world, after all.

By her side, Weiss sighs - and it's then that Ilia remembers she's even there. And the fact that she's now been left standing alone with her. Turning to look over at Weiss, Ilia is treated to the sight of her - admittedly rather perfect - profile, a soft and unplaceable expression on her face as she also peers at the retreating backs of her teammates.

When icy blue eyes turn back on her, Ilia refuses to shrink under the sharp gaze, even if she can feel her skin itching to change and flush - which emotion would decide to reveal itself even she's unsure of, reminding herself instead of how at ease Blake had seemed by Weiss' side.

"Sorry about Ruby, she's... not great with people. She means well, if a little weird."

At the last word, a gentle laugh breathes from Weiss' lips, and with it Ilia allows herself to breathe too. Inclining her head in the direction Ruby and Blake had walked off in, Weiss begins to follow after them and towards the rest of the group still waiting on them all, Ilia falling into step by her side.

Ilia feels more than sees Weiss glance her way from the corner of her eye, and the gesture is all it takes to settle the lasting vestiges of unease that little bit more - she's not the only nervous one, at being left alone with someone she doesn't know.

"I hope we're not pressuring you, by the way. If you really don't want to come with us, I can tell the others to back off."

Ilia had thought of situations where she might find herself in the company of one the Schnees, certainly. It's kind of the type of thing one thinks about when working for a group like the White Fang - what it would be like to confront one of the mascots for your people's suffering.

Never had it played out anything like this in her head though, and the awkward offer of an out is more touching than Ilia wants to admit. And maybe, just _maybe_ she might actually grow to like Weiss herself. Already, she's starting to see a little truth in what Blake had said about her.

After all, Weiss is the only one that seems to have noticed her discomfort, even offering to stand up for Ilia, if she is unable to do it herself.

It's... sweet.

Weiss is still hesitantly glancing in her direction, and Ilia makes a point to catch her eye with a smile the next time she does. Not only is she apparently sweet, but she's really pretty. And well, she did just see Blake cuddled up to Ruby so what's she got to lose?

"I'm definitely being pressured, but I can think of worse things than pretty girls wanting me along for a ride."

The last word has barely left her tongue when the sound of the metaphorical record scratch rings in her head, and she freezes mid-step. What she _meant_ to say was "pretty girls wanting me along for the ride". That is, in fact, _not_ what came out.

The fact that Weiss starts giggling almost immediately means the slip had most definitely been noticed, and the tell-tale tickling spreads across her skin as she flushes from head to toe before she has a chance to stop it. A part of her, that old part used to hiding and hating who she is from back in her Atlas prep days, tries to claw its way to the surface when Weiss turns to take in the new colour of her skin, and the giggles continue.

But, they're not mean. They're not the same laughs she'd heard from the girls in her class all those years ago, and the hand Weiss had been covering her mouth with falls away with a smile.

"How about we survive the train to Argus first, before thinking of any other _rides_ , hmm?"

And with that, she wanders off to join all the rest waiting on them, ponytail swinging behind her in rhythm with her steps and leaving Ilia to continue overheating, one single thought standing out amongst all others...

At no point in their interaction, did Weiss seem put off by the idea.

_More than her name, indeed..._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The number of people in the group Ilia is aquainted with is somewhat small, so spying Ruby standing off to the side talking with another redhaired girl, she begins to wander over towards them - Ruby seems like she'd be happy to carry a conversation in Ilia's place, and introductions are intimidating.

Not before getting her complextion under control, that is. One embarrassment for the day is enough, thank you very much.

The other redhead, Nora, makes quick work of introducing both herself and what feels like half the people on the station platform when Ilia joins her and Ruby. She's a lot more energetic than Ilia is accustomed to, and between her and Ruby, the conversation takes several twists and turns within the few short moments they are stood talking. Unable to help herself, Ilia glances around to scan for Blake and catches sight of her approaching the last remaining member of her team - the blonde who hadn't bothered to come bother them up on the balcony, unlike Weiss and Ruby.

Watching as the blonde - Yang - proceeds to give Blake the cold shoulder, Ilia leans over to whisper a question in Ruby's ear, who was also watching the interaction, or lack thereof, with interest.

"So, what's going on there?"

The question wasn't particularly sharp, as far as Ilia was aware, but that doesn't stop the other girl from deflating like a popped balloon. It isn't even Ruby who answers her, an arm being tossed around Ilia's shoulders and dragging her down a few inches to be closer to Nora's height, the chipper girl waving her free hand roughly in Blake and Yang's direction.

"Lesbians," is all she says, like that's any kind of answer. And like Ilia isn't _also_ a lesbian, though she wouldn't expect Nora to know that considering they've literally only just met.

Nora continues leaning heavily on Ilia's shoulders, even as Ruby turns to glower at her. "Blake's bisexual."

That's _still_ not an actual answer and, quite frankly, this whole interaction is doing nothing but confusing her more. Why would "lesbians" be the answer to whatever is going on with Blake and her friend, if Blake is dating Ruby?

She doesn't get much more time to ponder it all, as the whistle blows signalling that the train would be leaving soon, whether they're all on it or not. And as the old guy - Ruby's uncle Qrow, apparently - isn't slow to remind them all, he's already paid for their tickets and won't be paying a second time so they'd "better all be on it, or I'll personally put my foot up the ass of whoever I have to come back and get."

How exactly one would _un_ personally put their own foot up someone's ass is a mystery, and one she knows better than to question.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Almost as if fate had been eavesdropping on their group, Weiss' parting comment to her in the station returns as an ironic echo when they barely survive the train to Argus. The grimm had been enough work on their own, without the added hassle of being stranded in the cold, northernly countryside of Anima.

And here she was, in a fucking crop top and cutoff pants.

At least Weiss and Blake look equally as miserable as she feels, but it's a small comfort; thank the gods for aura, or they'd all have been done for. She's not entirely sure, but she's pretty sure she can see the occasional bit of steam rising up from Yang's hair, busy as she is pushing that bike through the snow - the added weight of Maria on top can't be helping, but having her walk had proven even slower and their auras won't last forever.

Offers to trade shifts pushing the bike had been brusquely brushed off, and after the first few knockbacks everyone had decided to just leave Yang to it. She seems content to simmer.

Ilia _still_ hasn't gotten an answer as to why, and at this point she's afraid to keep asking.

The walk allows her plenty of time to stew herself, thinking and rethinking about everything she'd been told on the train ride - before everything had gone to shit, that is - and it had only been made worse by the reiteration from Jinn. Weiss and Nora had joined her and Blake in one compartment, Nora dragging some poor boy by the name of Ren alongside her as she did so, and they'd filled her in on exactly what she had signed up for.

Hindsight is a fickle bitch, and Ilia sorely regrets being swayed so easily by the batted eyes of a few attractive girls but hey, she's here now. Too late to turn back, least of all being the fact she's pretty confident they destroyed the train track when they derailed the carriage carrying them.

Hours pass before they come across anything even close to civilisation, the outline of a town breaking the snowfall a welcome sight, and if Ilia would take anything from her travels with team RWBY, it's that their tendency to be unintentionally ironic is apparently a team trait - Blake's comment upon crossing the threshold into the village seemingly dooming them before they'd ever even had a chance...

"Well, at least one good thing happened today."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If this is their benchmark for "good", Ilia wants the fuck out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmaoooo that "General" tag didn't last long. Nothing explicit, don't be getting your hopes up quite yet, but this story probably isn't going to be as PG as I had thought when I started it.
> 
> I _also_ thought it was gonna be like a few chapters long, but now that I've got momentum it's definitely gonna way overshoot that. Considering this may be the only story of its kind, I doubt those of you reading are going to mind that too much. 
> 
> Find me on Tumblr at @shallitickleyournerdbutton!
> 
> Enjoy!

The sound of Weiss' horrified scream continues echoing through her skull long after the discovery of the bodies. Ilia watches, numb, as Blake drapes a blanket around still-shaking shoulders, settling herself cross-legged next to Weiss on the ground and pulling her close afterwards.

She's too numb to care much when Weiss snuggles into the embrace, and even when Blake presses a similar kiss to her head as she had done with Ruby back in the train station it does little more than perk her curiosity.

Maybe they're all just close? Turning to evaluate Ruby's reaction to the affection between Weiss and Blake, the other girl does indeed look saddened... but it's a different kind of sad from what Ilia would expect. Instead, she's looking over Weiss worriedly, seemingly torn between the desire to comfort her too, and the desire to strangle her uncle sitting boozing in the back room.

Ilia is the wrong kind of faunus to have any extra hearing abilities, but that doesn't mean she doesn't pick up the whisper of Blake speaking soft comforts into Weiss' ear, watching absently as one of Weiss' hands tuck itself inside Blake's coat. Inside the coat covering mainly bare skin, that is. Sure, it's low enough that she's definitely not copping a feel, but still not something Ilia herself would feel comfortable doing - and she'd consider Blake and herself good friends.

Just not _that_ good, apparently.

Ruby still doesn't seem bothered by the embracing, content to watch quietly in between sneaking glances over her shoulder to where Qrow has set himself up away from everyone. She is far too young to be the one in charge of looking after everyone, but it doesn't seem like her uncle is up to the job right now.

Honestly, Ilia can't really blame him. She's barely moved since they got here, herself.

In fact, everyone is just sitting around. No one has said anything for about an hour now, other than Blake's quiet assurances against Weiss' ear and the occasional noise from Maria as she reads. It's not until Yang rises up from the couch, stretching her arms up above her, that a spark of life returns to the inhabitants of the room.

"I'm gonna go look for something to get us moving. No point just sitting around in here."

From the distance, Qrow's voice calls out sharply, almost certainly a little slurred and Ruby's brows furrow at the sound. "Don't be going anywhere alone! That goes for all of you - either buddy system it, or stay put."

Blake's head lifts up away from Weiss' hair, and she offers to go with Yang only to be shot down immediately.

"Nah, stay with Weiss."

No one expects her to focus bright lilac eyes in Ilia's direction, least of all Ilia herself, but that's exact what happens; and she startles a little despite herself when Yang addresses her directly. For the first time since joining the group, actually.

"You defused all those bombs, right? Know anything about motorbikes?"

Blake shrinks in on herself from the spot at the corner of Ilia's eye where she is still wrapped around Weiss, and it's a long second before she realises why - Yang is using Ilia as a buffer between the two of them. And part of her, the part of Ilia that's still fiercely protective of Blake, wants to call her out on it.

Ilia doesn't do that. She also knows an opportunity when she sees one, and this may be the only chance she gets to size Yang up and finally get some answers. Ilia wants to refuse.

"Yea, I know a little. Lead the way."

But Ilia wants answers more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Entering the warehouse, Yang stands by her side with her hands on her hips and scans around the room, Ilia doing the same just minus the power pose. After a long moment of neither of them moving, Ilia turns to her side just to be greeted by Yang looking back at her, and _wow_ she's gorgeous this close.

_Dammit Blake, trust you to have the hottest team ever. Some people have all the luck._

That's not to say that Ilia is feeling in anyway lucky at the moment. Quite the opposite actually, and Yang gives her a last once over before turning and walking off towards some shelves by her left.

"See if you can find anything that we could use to transport more people. Bumblebee can carry two on her, maybe three at a push."

"Sure."

For a brief time, the quiet between them manages to be companionable, two heads working as one towards the same goal and something about that lures Ilia into letting her guard down as she opens her mouth and promptly places her foot in it.

"Must be kind of weird, your partner and your sister dating?"

She'd been aiming for humour, something to break the ice a little between them both, and instead had smashed right through into freezing waters beneath, Yang giving her a queer look in response and sending a shock of cold down Ilia's spine.

"Blake didn't tell you?"

Unlike with Weiss, who warmed immediately at Ilia's awkward attempts at conversation, Yang doesn't give. Instead, she holds Ilia's eye with yet another unplaceable look on her face and Ilia's getting really annoyed at trying to understand all these girls.

_I should have just stayed in Mistral..._

Yang is still staring incredulously at her, and she rushes to respond with her own question. "Tell me what?"

The only answer - after a long, _long_ moment - is a scoff, and Yang walking further away into the room.

"Nothing, apparently."

An entirely too awkward silence begins to fill the space between them, swelling up and pushing them to opposite sides of the warehouse as they scavenge for anything of use to get them all moving again. Unfortunately, most of the parts Ilia has around her seem more geared towards farm upkeep than travel, and she really hopes Yang is having more luck than she is.

Somehow, she doubts that though. They've barely been looking for twenty minutes, and she's already feeling tired. Must be the cold. Whether it's coming from outside, or the blonde across the room, she's unsure.

Eventually, they begin to migrate back towards each other as they remain idea-less, and Yang sweeps her gaze over the tractor they'd noticed upon first entering - she has what looks like some kind of capacitor in her hand, though it appears to be more of a distraction to fidget with than anything of actual use.

"I suppose we could hook that flatbed up to Bumblebee in the morning. Should hopefully carry everyone, provided the cold hasn't drained her battery."

Not having any ideas of her own, Ilia just nods an agreement.

Turning to leave, Ilia stops with a hand on the door when Yang doesn't move to follow. Instead, she's just standing in the middle of the room, fidgeting with that capacitor and really, if she doesn't knock it off it's probably going to shock her soon.

She's ready to leave, and she doesn't know Yang well enough to be willing to stay here any longer with her, but something stops her from taking that exit - Yang doesn't look angry like she has the whole time up until now. No, she... she looks sad, shoulders low and ignorant to the fact Ilia is even still there, and even though Ilia's _still_ not gotten an answer as to what happened between her and Blake, she knows enough to hazard a guess.

"She left me too, you know."

_That_ is what ultimately gets Yang's attention, and tension squeezes her shoulders even as she finally looks at Ilia properly again. Heavy silence sits in the air between both girls, before Ilia realises she's waiting for her to keep talking. The words are weighty, and awkward, and stifling, but she forces them out anyway because it seems Yang needs to hear them.

"I... I loved her, even though she was never mine, and I allowed myself to fixate on it for so long that... that I never noticed myself becoming a villain, until it was too late." The last part trails off, Ilia herself uncomfortable at the thought she'd still not allowed herself the time to process fully, only continuing when Yang remains staring at her. "And even after all that, she still gave me a chance."

Yang sighs, dropping the metal piece she'd been holding with a clang and crossing her arms as she half-frowns in Ilia's direction.

"I don't really see what that has to do with me and Blake."

"Well, she ran from you for the same reason she ran from me."

Hesitating, Ilia doesn't really want to bring up what was clearly a traumatic experience for Yang, and only does so when the other girl's defensive posture softens - it seems she genuinely wishes to hear what Ilia is going to say next.

"Adam."

She notices Yang's arm shake slightly at his name, and it's no surprise at all. But, if it's to help Blake, Ilia is willing to bear the brunt of whatever reaction this topic might bring forth.

"She told me, what happened at Beacon. You don't know Adam like Blake, or even me - what happened to you both was literally her worst nightmare, coming to hunt her down. Honestly, the fact that he targeted you over her probably made it so much worse."

Frown deepening, Yang rubs her still-shaking hand over her metal one, lost in an old memory. Ilia doesn't need to ask to know which one it is.

"That doesn't change the fact that she still left. Even after saying she wouldn't."

"She told me the same thing, and trust me when I say I was every bit as angry."

Yang is still rubbing her arm, and she's still not looking at Ilia. Ilia doesn't need to know her, to understand that she's walking a very thin tightrope with this conversation.

_Do it for Blake._

"I held onto my anger until it was too late. Don't be like me, it's not too late for the two of you. And yea, honestly, there is a good chance she might run again - but I think we both know her reason for doing so is very real, and it's not because she doesn't care. If anything, it's because she _does_."

And Yang doesn't answer. Hell, she doesn't even look up, but Ilia doesn't need her to. The words have hit their mark, they both know it. When she turns and finally pushes open the door to leave the warehouse, Blake is right there on the other side, hand raised to pull the handle before it had been swung open by Ilia instead.

And sure, Ilia wishes Blake was coming looking for her.

But she's not.

Ilia doesn't make a fuss about letting her past to go find Yang, only giving into the blue colouring pressing insistently to wash over her skin once absolutely certain no one can see her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saddened as she is by the growing realisation that - regardless of which one of her teammates she is in fact dating, which is still a big question - Blake is absolutely out of her reach, Ilia mopes her way back to the main house.

_So much for the buddy system..._

Entering the house again, only Maria and Oscar remain in the living room, Oscar bemusedly chucking the odd piece of wood into the fire as Maria reads aloud bits out of whatever book it is she's reading now. He's one of the few she feels genuinely sorry for - he's far too young to have been dragged into all this, shitty former headmaster in his head or not. Then again, so is Ruby and she most definitely knows what she's doing. Ilia's seen her swinging that scythe around, there's no denying her role on the team.

Backtracking out of there, she turns to see Qrow half-dozing in the chair he's been in since they got here, a bottle forgotten by his feet and briefly she feels what must only be a fraction of the frustration burning in Ruby at his current state. Yang doesn't seem to give much of a shit, but it doesn't take a genius to see how it's bothering their cape-clad leader. And speaking of which, where are her and Weiss?

The upstairs rooms are a no-go - there's not a blue chance in hell Weiss would go up there again after what happened earlier, so Ilia decides to check around the lower floor of the house. You know, just in case something has happened. And maybe because they're kind of the only ones other than Blake - and now Yang, she supposes - that she has actually kind of spoken to properly.

Following the path of the hallway, Ilia peaks into a few closets and storage rooms with no sign of the other two girls, continuing on her way until reaching a door at the end. From the gap under the wood, she can see light filtering through and feels the slightest bit of relief - Weiss and Ruby are probably in there, if there's light coming out.

Placing a hand on the metal doorknob, she turns it softly and quietly so as not to alarm the two likely behind it. Their group have had enough scares already, and she doesn't fancy being on the other side of Weiss or Ruby's weapon when they're already feeling rather jumpy.

There's a lot of things she expected to find once she located them both; Ruby on her knees with her head under Weiss' skirt was absolutely _not_ on that list.

She freezes in the doorway, and feels her skin turning a million different colours as the sight in front of her properly registers - Weiss leaning back against the bar behind her, arched prettily as her legs shake and struggle to keep her upright.

Neither girl have noticed her standing there mere metres away, gawking dumbly as her legs refuse to move. Weiss' skirt is thankfully - unthankfully? - blocking the view of exactly what Ruby is doing, but Ilia still has ears. And it doesn't hide the placement of Ruby's hands, one raised up beneath Weiss' skirt and the other beneath her own.

She shouldn't be here.

This isn't for her to see - she knows that, but that doesn't quiet the small part of her that's egging her to stay. Sadly, real life isn't like the videos on her scroll, and she manages to pull the door back shut without either girl ever realising she was there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pretending to be oblivious is one of the hardest things Ilia has ever had to do in her life, when they both wander back into the living room a while later carrying cans of food in their arms.

Well, second hardest. The first would have to be holding her tongue and not responding how she wanted to at Ruby's comment upon first reappearing.

"Hey, figured everyone would feel better if we eat?"

Ilia knows Ruby has, in fact, already eaten; but they're definitely not anywhere near close enough for her to make a joke like that so she doesn't. It's physically painful, but she manages it.

As could have been predicted Weiss doesn't appear to have much experience cooking, not even heating up stuff in a can, so Ilia helps Ruby with setting up a makeshift stove over the fire Oscar has done well to keep going - they've both got the most experience at living on the road, so it's easy enough to do. It proves a welcome distraction from the depresssing diary Maria insists on reading chunks of to anyone who will listen, and dinner is well underway by the time Blake and Yang return.

Yang, before Blake. And they're still not exactly friendly, so Ilia can only assume whatever talk went down in the warehouse didn't go particularly well.

Once again, Ilia plays voyeur as she watches Ruby wander over to her sister, food in hand and coaxing Yang into eating. The sisters fall into the couch, shoulder to shoulder, Ruby leaning heavily into Yang until eventually she had snuck her way past whatever mood it is Yang is in now - the blonde breaking for perhaps the first time since Ilia had met her, arm wrapping around Ruby and pulling her close, where they stay until they start dozing off. Qrow was still "standing guard" in the other room, and Oscar and Maria had settled down ages ago.

Weiss and Blake simply resume their cuddling by the fire, like Ruby wasn't face-first up in Weiss' business less than an hour ago, and Ilia is about ready to start screaming or throwing things if she doesn't start getting answers as to what the _fuck_ is going on with Blake's team, because this is certainly not how she acts with her friends.

Or, she was ready to - right up until Weiss notices her hovering neglected and forgotten near the door, turning to Blake with yet another one of those damned looks she doesn't understand. When Blake nods, Weiss shuffles a little away so she's not _quite_ as much in Blake's lap as she had been a second ago, an arm opening the blanket around them so there's enough space for maybe one more, looking expectantly in Ilia's direction.

And well, Ilia's always been a little bit of a hypocrite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes for this chapter:
> 
> Just so no one is confused, the scene of Blake and Yang in the warehouse still happens pretty much as it did in the show, they still won't properly reconcile until the whole Adam crap happens. Even though Ilia was there to extend a bit of an olive branch, and help Yang realise that she's holding onto anger that Blake maaaaaybe doesn't entirely deserve, Blake still kinda puts her foot in it at the end and ruins it. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! Don't be fooled by this current updating schedule into thinking this will be a regular thing - I have a lot of uni work I'm supposed to be doing right now, so obviously this is what I'm doing instead. Will definitely slow down once I actually start the work I'm supposed to be doing T.T
> 
> In line with the "time period" prompt - which I'm kinda just interpreting as "time skip" tbh - this chapter jumps about a little. It's linear until they meet up with JNR in Argus, then jumps back a little once Oscar disappears to add in an extra scene. It should make sense as you read it. 
> 
> Find me on Tumblr! @shallitickleyournerdbutton
> 
> Please drop a comment or kudos, let me know what you think/like about the story! :p
> 
> Enjoy!

Ruby wakes them in the morning, sun streaming in obnoxiously through the windows behind her. They were supposed to be up and away first thing, and pondering the cause of the irritation on Ruby's face isn't necessary.

Qrow was supposed to wake them all. No points for guessing why Ruby's voice ends up being the one doing the job.

Ilia can't even remember falling asleep, the night before is fuzzy in her mind as she forces herself up from her spot next to a grumbling, and still half-asleep, Weiss Schnee and _damn_ , if that ain't a place she never would have expected to find herself. One of Weiss' hands falls into her lap as she sits up fully, and only then does it register that she'd become a little spoon at some point during the night. Blake is on the smaller girl's other side, Weiss still held against her front as one of her ears flicks in the direction of Ruby's surprisingly moody morning voice.

"Guys. Up. I'm not saying it again, I know you can all hear me."

Weiss' hand in her lap flexes, and surely she isn't as aware of it as Ilia is to still have it there, close enough to somewhere else that it causes the slightest fluttering low in Ilia's stomach with the movement. But then Blake pulls Weiss closer to her and the hand is retracted, Weiss entirely ignorant to her almost-fondling.

The fact she wants the hand back is enough to prompt Ilia up and away from the odd temptation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm not leaving without the lamp!"

Ruby doesn't seem like the type to shout very often, and the fact that it manages to snap her team slightly out of whatever has sunk its claws into them all backs that thought up more than anything else could have.

"Ugh, fine. I'll go down with you."

"We'll go down _together_."

Ilia hesitates, watching as Ruby takes the leap down into the well and the rest of her team glance between each other. After a lot of sighing, they follow her one by one, until Ilia is the only one left standing by the hole they've all disappeared down, debating with herself. Somewhere behind her, Maria begins reading another one of those fucking books out loud and it's enough for her decision to be made.

"Hey! I'm coming, too!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Landing in the water below, that she _really_ hopes is clean, Ilia's eyes quickly adjust to the darkness around them, spying Yang standing just a few feet away. Light shining only marginally further down the tunnel reveals the location of the other three, and Ilia realises after a moment that they had been waiting for her already, a warm feeling blooming across her chest at the thought.

"You good?" Yang asks, and Ilia can make out one of her hands extended her way in offering - if she needs it.

And she doesn't really, but she accepts it anyway because why not? Yang must have forgotten that most faunus can see just fine in the dark, but Ilia isn't going to remind her; it's a nice improvement over the awkward conversations they'd had in the warehouse. She allows Yang to tug her in the direction of the other three, and they make their way through the tunnels looking for the stupid relic.

It's slow going, her legs feel heavy as they trudge their way through the water and she chalks the extra fatigue down to the added resistance against her movement. After a while - too long - Blake suggests turning the lights off to search easier, and the eery blue glow becomes more apparent a ways down the tunnel. Ruby is the one to break off and jog down towards it, and she disappears out of view, calling out that she'd found her target.

For a second time, too many times now, one of team RWBY starts screaming and somehow the fact it's Ruby is even more heart-wrenching than when it had been Weiss. As one, they jolt to attention and rush towards the tunnel she had vanished down, Yang now squeezing hard with the hand holding onto Ilia. It's borderline painful, but she's too distracted to really notice.

Ruby comes scampering out from the dark, the relic clutched tight to her chest as she runs directly towards Yang.

And there's something hot on her tail.

Several shots from Ruby and Yang's weapons are fired down the tunnel, but they fail to stop the encroaching horde and it's only when Maria appears somewhere behind them that they finally start running. Like the older sister she is, Yang uses the hand Ilia is still absently holding onto to shove her further towards the front of their group, taking up position at the back as they hightail it away from the... things chasing them.

Obviously grimm, but nothing like any Ilia has ever seen. And apparently, no one else in her group has either which is remarkably discomforting - a group of huntsman-to-be, and not one of them has a clue what these things are. Even Ruby's overpowered sniper rifle failed to make a dent, and those screams...

She feels heavy. So heavy.

so...

so......

heavy...........

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_"Ruby... what colour are your eyes?"_

_"They're... silver..."_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seeing Weiss chuck the first bottle of booze at the cellar door, Ilia is quick to assist; this place deserves to go up in flames, and Ilia has never been opposed to the occasional act of arson.

As long as it's for a good cause, _of course_.

It's more than worth the extra risk of hanging back, when Weiss sends a surprised look her way; and even more so when it turns into a grin. Yea, the decision is made now - Ilia _does_ like her.

Those fucking things keep screaming even as they burn, and it's not until they're well on their way to Argus that Maria reads them the last few passages from the book in her hand.

The Apathy.

As far as grimm go, they're at the top of the list of the ones Ilia hopes to never come across again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That Jaune boy looks about ready to cry when they finally meet back up, and while Ilia doesn't know him well enough to know if that's a normal thing for him, her answer comes in the form of Ruby questioning him on it. Gently, and caring, but she does enquire at him about his wet eyes and general emotional-ness.

"I'm okay, was just worried we'd lost you guys too."

As sad as the sentiment is, it doesn't quite explain the way it smothers most of the people around her, and it's not until later that day that another piece of the puzzle is snuck back on the table while she's still trying to figure out how many pieces are even missing. Jaune returns from his hunt for Oscar, flanked on either side by his own teammates, and they're all a little on the watery-eyed side this time.

"We... met Pyrrha's mom."

Ilia knows who Pyrrha is, and what she meant to them all. She knows how she died, and when.

What she _doesn't_ know is why the mention of her prompts, once again, for all of team RWBY to share another of those looks with each other, while the remaining members of team JNPR are busy comforting Jaune.

One more question tossed into the ever-growing pile of ones she plans to ask Blake when Ilia finally manages to corner her alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oscar had disappeared while they were away hunting for somewhere to get some food, JNR having enough to digest after being informed of everything Jinn had told them. Ruby decided to hang back, something about wanting to talk to Maria, and it's another burst of warmth in her chest when the rest of team RWBY simply assume she's going with them for food - Blake expectantly holding the door for her to join them out in the chilly Argus air.

Who is she to refuse such an offer?

Weiss and Yang have already started walking ahead when her and Blake fall into step with one another, hanging back slightly but not enough for Ilia to get that chance to question her.

She'll get it, though. Oh, she's more likely to go to her grave than she is to give up that pursuit at this point. Especially considering she's just watched Weiss reach down to pointedly take ahold of one of Yang's hands, the blonde offering no argument against it, slowing her pace to allow Weiss' shorter legs to keep up with her.

And... now she's cuddled into Yang's side, same as she'd been with Blake just last night.

Turning to check on Blake, she's her usual quiet self as she strides along next to Ilia, watching the two ahead of them with a wistful expression. After a long moment of Ilia staring at her doesn't prompt her attention away, a shoulder is instead employed to do the job, bumping Blake just hard enough to knock her a tiny bit off-balance.

Recovering fast, she turns an irritated and furrowed brow in her friend's direction and recoils at the expecting look she's getting in return.

"You alright?" Ilia asks, deciding 'fuck it' and giving her the chance to open up a little; surely there's not _that_ much more she could drop on Ilia at this point.

Blake hesitates, just enough to get Ilia's hopes up, thinking she's actually going to talk. Then her head shakes, and whatever she'd been about to say is lost in the northern chill clinging to the air.

"I'm fine," is what she says instead, and they both know it's bullshit. But if Ilia has learned anything from being around Blake, it's that there's only a certain set of circumstances that will make her talk, and the middle of a busy, foreign street is not it.

Both of their gazes fall back on the two walking just in front of them, and Weiss must have managed to say something right as Yang's laugh floats through the street, echoing off the old buildings. That's the first time Ilia has heard her laugh, and even brooding as Blake is by her side, she still perks up at the sound.

And it's a risk, she knows it is, but after everything Ilia has just been dragged through thanks to her love for Blake it's one worth taking.

Blake doesn't move away when Ilia links her arm with her own, leaning into it instead with a sigh. Whether it's a happy or a sad one, she's uncertain, but it's enough.

"Ilia, I... thank you."

Even if Blake doesn't love her back, it doesn't mean Ilia is okay seeing her hurting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a fair time walking, too long in the cold air considering the amount of skin most of them have on show, they eventually settle on somewhere to eat. It's an old, mistrali-style diner that Weiss attempted to veto and was overruled.

_"You've used up your vetoes already, now we're picking and this is where we've picked."_

_"I never agreed to that!"_

_"And I didn't agree to freezing my tits off waiting on you making up your mind, sometimes we don't get what we want."_

Yang had stood holding the door open, a picture of gentlewoman-ly patience - if it weren't for the hint of amusement in her face at prodding Weiss so obviously. With a scoff and a flick of her hair, Weiss had stomped past her into the chosen eatery. It's all for show however, as she's smiling even as she does so, the rest of them filing in behind her and Yang not hiding the warm shake of her head at Weiss' back.

They slide into one of the booths, ordering without _too_ much fuss. The waitress had lingered on Blake's ears, and despite whatever is going on between the two of them, Yang's eyes had still flashed red as she dared her to say something about Blake.

Which, in the end, she wisely did not.

And... it's so nice, that neither Ilia nor Blake had even the chance to have to defend themselves, before having someone else do it for them so willingly. Even Weiss had bristled immediately and not missed the judging look, but she settled when Yang handled it.

It's made even nicer by the fact they don't linger on it after - neither faunus particularly enjoy the topic, and it seems her new friends understand that. In fact, Ilia being there and not Ruby doesn't appear to bother them either, and for the first time... she actually feels like part of the team?

She knows it'll have to end eventually; but for now, it's nice. It's been a long time since Ilia was a part of any team.

(And never a part of one intent on doing _good_.)

Unfortunately, the tentative peace between them hadn't lasted too long. They'd just ordered a round of coffees to finish up, when the sniping began. Like many things, it didn't sting immediately - instead gathering momentum over a few traded comments as Weiss and Ilia sat helplessly between the two bickering girls, until Blake had shoved up away from the table and fled to the bathroom.

Weiss watches Blake go, lingering on her retreating back before those bright blue eyes swirl round to focus on Yang. Ice can burn just as sorely as fire and Yang actually winces at the wordless scolding, slumping in her chair when Weiss gets up to go after Blake.

Leaving Ilia, alone, next to a simmering Yang Xiao-Long.

Great.

They sit there wordlessly, until Yang sighs heavily next to her and prompts her attention over that way. She has her arms crossed, head leaned back against the booth with her eyes closed. In any other situation, it might look like a position of leisure but Ilia has just been privy to the contrary.

There's no telling how long Blake and Weiss are going to be away for, and it would be rude for her to leave. Doesn't mean she wants to continue sitting here stewing, either. So, she bites the bullet.

_Kinda fucking wish I was eating a bullet right now, actually. But here goes nothing._

"Hey."

Yang ignores her for another moment, cracking an eye open to look her way after a few more - incredibly warm - breaths. Like damn, the whole area around their table is feeling several degrees warmer than it did a few minutes ago and she's pretty confident it's thanks to the girl by her side.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Yang just frowns at her. Ilia refuses the desire to squirm.

_Well, I tried. Can't fault me for that._

Just as Ilia seriously debates cutting her losses and running, Yang sighs again and Ilia feels her slouch slightly to lean a - still very warm - shoulder against her own.

"Yea, I do."

As embarrassed as she is about it, Ilia can't help perking up herself at the quiet response. For Yang to talk to her, over her own team...

Well, she must be doing something right, anyways.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blake stands in front of the sinks when Weiss goes looking for her in the bathroom, hands gripping tight against the ceramic and not looking up. The water is running, and she doesn't make any move to turn it off. In fact, she doesn't even look round when Weiss enters, or even when a hand is placed against her back, rubbing large circles against the fabric of her coat and it's a long moment before Weiss realises that she's crying.

"Hey..."

Blake doesn't answer, wiping angrily at her eyes with a hand and still not looking up. She's tense under Weiss' hand, coiled up so tight it's a surprise she hasn't snapped. Then again, that might be exactly what they're on the cusp of having happen.

"I don't know what to do, Weiss... Everything I say to her just makes things worse. I... I don't know if there's any fixing this."

The hand on her back falls away but thankfully not for long, Weiss' slim arms wrapping around her waist as she feels the smaller girl tuck herself against her back.

"I don't know if you have to."

"What?" Blake finally looks up, catching Weiss' eyes in the mirror from where they barely peak over her shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"Well, obviously I don't know what she's thinking, but I did speak to Ruby about the two of you back in... back in the house before everything happened."

"And what did she say?"

Weiss sighs against her back, but her hold stays steady and Blake places a hand of her own over one of Weiss' in a search for comfort, bracing herself for whatever is about to be said.

"She said that Yang wouldn't be around you if she didn't still want to be. That you'd know if she'd actually given up." Then she laughs, short and light, as if she didn't mean to. "She said that just because Yang can smolder for a lot longer than most, it doesn't mean she won't eventually fizzle out."

It's such an appropriate description for their flame-haired girlfriend that Blake can't help a little laugh of her own, even if it still comes out strangled.

"She said to just stay and not leave again, and that it'll be enough. In time."

In time.

There's no telling how much time, but Blake doesn't plan on leaving them all ever again. As long as it takes, she'll be here.

"Thank you, Weiss. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well aren't you lucky that you'll never need to find out?"

It's such a Weiss-like way to respond that a smile forces its way onto Blake's face without her permission, catching the soft way Weiss is still looking at her through the mirror. Weiss presses a kiss against her shoulder - well, her coat actually - since she's a little too short to reach Blake's cheek from her spot cuddling her from behind. One of the hands wrapped around Blake's stomach breaks away, drawing languid circles on her stomach and for the smallest moment she is allowed the belief that it's another attempt at comfort...

Until it slowly starts to make its way lower, dragging against Blake's skin and forcing a laugh out of her as she grabs the wandering hand in one of her own.

"Weiss! We're in a public bathroom."

"Like you've never done worse. From what I remember, you've never minded being in a bathroom before..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Weiss and Blake stroll their way back from the bathroom, arm-in-arm and in much better spirits than during their departures earlier, they both look a little ruffled round the edges but Ilia doesn't comment on it. She doesn't really need to - already having a fairly decent guess in mind as to why. Yang doesn't say anything either, though she doesn't miss the little double take the blonde gives them both as they approach the table again.

_Could almost swear Blondie's eyes turned green for a sec there. Don't like being left out, huh?_

Whatever Weiss had done to comfort Blake seems to have worked, as she stops trying to force the whole "Yang Issue". Ilia doesn't want to preen, but she's pretty sure she's to thank for helping Yang let out a little bit of the steam that had clearly been building up in her, allowing them to salvage their time together in the diner.

Conversation is actually kind of pleasant for a little bit while they finish their coffees, Ilia and Weiss trading turns at keeping the topics discussed neutral - Ilia only joining in after realising what Weiss was doing.

Again, Ilia receives a smile in thanks from her. Something about her smiling up at Ilia from under her lashes just hits different, and it's only made worse when during her own visit to the bathroom she spies what most certainly looks like hand prints on one of the mirrors - roughly the same size as she knows Weiss' to be.

_So she complains about eating here, but then allows herself to be fucked in the bathroom... I swear, it's one step forward and three steps back trying to understand this lot._

That coy smile over a coffee cup is still flirting through Ilia's mind by the time they return to the house, just in time to discover Oscar missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes for this chapter:  
> This chapter is a lot of little moments, that when added together start putting together a bigger picture - the beginning of the absorption of Ilia into the fractured team RWBY.
> 
> I know in the show it's just Jaune who has the conversation with Pyrrha's mum, and while I totally understand why they had it that way, I also feel like Ren and Nora should have returned to him just that little bit sooner and gotten to meet her too. Like, Pyrrha was important to all of them and it made me sad that they never got that bit of closure like Jaune did. So, in this story they did. They weren't there for the whole conversation, but they do show up at the end before she leaves and they get to meet her too. 
> 
> I put the scene in the diner because Ruby says to Maria that "the others went out for food" when they have their chat about the silver eyes so I figured I'd do what I do and go ahead and fill in that missing scene myself ^.^
> 
> And officially as of this chapter, this story is set in the same universe as Pumpkin Pollination. It's definitely not necessary to read that first to understand this one but I mean like, why wouldn't you? ;) It's mostly just some throwaway jokes and comments but I think it adds a little sumthin sumthin...


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was an interesting chapter to write, I usually don't get so involved with writing dialogue so hopefully it reads okay. It is 2 in the morning as I'm posting this and it has not been proofread, just so y'all are aware. ^^'
> 
> Very Blake/Ilia focused chapter - these two old friends needed some bonding time together, I think! :)
> 
> I can be found on Tumblr! @shallitickleyournerdbutton
> 
> Enjoy!

Of course the kid had been in the house the whole time. Or, well, most of the time anyways. Why no one thought to check back there earlier is a mystery, and one she can't really critique as she hadn't thought of it either. Admittedly, he does look pretty cute in his new outfit. 

_Maybe I should get myself a coat..._

It's not like Solitas is any less freezing than Argus is, and she's already beginning to question her wardrobe choices. 

The kid did have dinner cooking for them all getting back, and despite having already eaten not that long ago, none of her group turned down the option of trying some of Oscar's casserole. It's not until dinner is cleared away and everyone is chatting in the sitting room that sleeping arrangements are mentioned.

"Okay, so, our house is big but it's not _that_ big which means some of you are gonna be on the couch. That cool? There's an inn down the street if not." Terra states, rather flatly, and Ilia can guess what option she's hoping they pick. 

But then Saphron appears by her shoulder, the very picture of sunshine made mortal, and chimes in with, "You can draw straws! I'll go get some from the kitchen."

Terra rolls her eyes at her wife's retreat, before following after her with a tender smile, and maybe some opposites really do attract.

"Sleeping on sofas is for you young ones, my old back won't survive it. I'll see you all in the morning." 

Deciding she is not waiting on straws being drawn, Maria begins to make her way up the stairs to lay claim to one of the rooms. Somehow, Ilia has her doubts about a night on a couch being the thing to incapacitate the _fabled_ Grimm Reaper in the end, but none of them are going to argue with her about it. 

"Ditto. Don't wake me up too early." Qrow slinks away after her, and no one misses the way Ruby scowls at his back. It's an ugly expression on her, obviously one her features aren't used to being forced into. 

It's just the teenagers left in the sitting room now. Well, them and the awkward, suffocating silence standing proud in the very centre. Ilia watches as both Ruby and Weiss stand looking between the other two members of their team; they seem to be waiting for something. In fact, everyone does - everyone except Ilia and Oscar. 

She feels very much out of the loop, watching whatever is about to play out in front of her with a breath she's not even sure why she's holding, as Blake and Yang avoid looking at one another. 

The moment lasts too long, as Blake blows out a semi-irritated huff and slumps back against the couch where she's still sitting. 

"I'm staying here."

Ruby bumps an arm against Yang, who looks over at her and-- why's she shaking her head? There's obviously a question somewhere in there, known only to the two sisters. And maybe Weiss, as she's looking progressively more distressed the longer she glances between her teammates. 

Ignoring whatever Ruby had been nudging her about, Yang turns to head up the stairs and with a last sad, kicked-puppy look towards a brooding Blake, Ruby follows after her up the stairs. 

"Well, that was awkward." Nora turns to Ren, standing quietly by her side as he seemingly always is. "You coming?"

At Ren's demure nod, she beams and turns to Oscar. He, at least, still looks as puzzled as Ilia is feeling.

"Oscar~? Want to room with us?" 

Oscar looks a lot more hesitant at the proposition than Ren had, but eventually he concedes with a shrug of his shoulders. The numbers are dwindling fast, and Ilia doesn't want to get her hopes up but there's opportunity breaching the horizon here, floating on unexplored waters. There's just Jaune and Weiss left, the former of whom moves to follow the rest of his team before stopping with a foot on the first step as he looks over at Weiss, still stood stuck in the middle of the living room. She doesn't appear to know whether to stay with Blake, or go after Ruby and Yang, and is taking a weirdly long time to decide. 

And Ilia can definitely sympathise - Weiss isn't like her or Ruby, with their clear allegiances. Blake was Ilia's friend before any of the other team RWBY members, and Yang is Ruby's sister. It's easier for them, to pick one side over the other; certainly no one would hold those choices against either of them.

It's not the same for Weiss. And she's still not picked. 

Clearing his throat, and with what is no doubt a shortage of courage, he calls out to Weiss. "Hey, uh, Weiss? You can room with me if you want--"

"Yes."

"--though you don't... Wait, 'yes'?" He cuts off mid-statement, obvious surprise on his face at the quick acceptance. He looks like he's waiting for a punchline to follow, watching as Weiss strides towards him and allowing himself to be half-tugged up the stairs by her before righting himself and following properly. 

_Well, decision made I guess. Always good to have a third option._

Just as Ilia drops herself onto the couch next to Blake, Saphron reappears in the doorway with several brightly-coloured little straw pieces in her hand, waving them proudly above her head. 

"Okay, I've got the straws-- Oh!" She stops mid-stride, looking between the two girls still remaining on the bottom floor, and Ilia can almost see the sweat drop appear by her brow like would happen in some cartoon. "I see you've already decided, I'll just... go put these in the bin, I guess."

At this, Adrian giggles and reaches out for them and she allows him possession instead which seems to perk her mood back up a bit. Terra takes a gentle hold of her wife's arm, beginning to move them in the direction of the stairs as they all wish Blake and Ilia goodnight. 

She's not sure, but it sounds like Saphron mutters something along the lines of, "At least Adrian appreciates me, Jaune didn't even say goodnight..." under her breath as they vanish at the top, whatever Terra can be just heard responding swallowed up by the distance between them all.

And then there were two. 

_About fucking time._

Blake hasn't moved from her spot on the couch since she sat down, frowning the slightest bit as she stares into the fireplace ahead, and just maybe Ilia's pursuit of answers is going to have to wait. Ilia knows something of Blake's moods having spent a good few years in her company, and she does not look like she's in a talkative one right now. 

_Tough fucking luck. You've got a lot to answer for, Belladonna._

"So, what was all that about?"

Bandaid: ripped off. Ball: in the air. Dice: well and truly fucking rolled. 

Blake lolls her head to look Ilia's way, an expression _very_ close to a pout on her face as she does. It's cute, but not cute enough. Raising an expecting eyebrow at her, Ilia waits. 

It's enough, as Blake looks back towards the fire with a sigh. "Yang's still mad at me."

"Yea, no shit. That's not what I'm talking about."

She continues her act of pouty nonchalance, and her staring in any direction that isn't Ilia's. But they both know it's an act - the fact Ilia has just seen the ears of the top of her head perk up, even while the rest of her remains outwardly calm, is giving her away. 

_Okay Blake, two can play this game. Let's see who cracks first._

"Fine. Play hard to get, not like I'm not used to that from you. Last chance to talk." Ilia pauses, doing the upstanding thing and allowing her friend the opportunity to come clean, before embarrassing her. 

Blake looks her way, and then doubles down. 

"I don't know what you're talking about."

And sure, Ilia could just ask her nicely about what it is that's going on with her team. But the option to torment is too tempting, especially considering she seems content on playing coy. 

Hook... line...

"I know you fucked Weiss in the diner today."

And sunk her.

Blake squeals, hands flying up to cover her face as she recoils away from Ilia on the couch, who is not giving up now. 

"I've seen you kiss Ruby, I've seen all of you being wayyy too handsy with each other, _and_ I've seen Ruby chin-deep in Weiss. So, I'm gonna ask you one last time, nicely - what's all that about?"

Blake remains sprawled out against the arm of the couch, her hands trying and failing to cover how red she's turning - and it is not like Blake to start blushing, so Ilia knows this is gonna be good. A laugh floats from between the fingers still in front of her face, and she peeks one eye out between them to scrutinise Ilia. 

" _That_ was you asking 'nicely'?"

"I've been patient. I think I get to pick on you a little after everything I've just been dragged through. Now, spill it." 

Blake sighs, the hands covering her face falling to her chest as she holds Ilia's eye for another moment, before laughing again. It's light and airy, and if nothing else, she's sufficiently distracted from the whole "Yang Issue" just now and that would be enough for Ilia. 

"We're together. Or, we were, at least. I don't know about now."

"'We'? As in... all of you?"

Blake laughs again, a little awkward. Her hands twitch from their spot cradled against her chest, a sign she wants to cover her face again. 

"Yes?"

"That's... well, I suppose I'm glad you're not just messing Ruby around. She's too nice for that."

"You thought I was messing Ruby around?"

"Well what the hell else was I supposed to think? You do kind of leave broken hearts in your wake, you know."

Blake frowns at that, sitting up properly to look at Ilia for the first time since the start of this conversation. "What do you mean?"

"Well so far there's been me, Adam, and I'm pretty sure that Sun guy was in love with you, too." Every single word in that sentence stings to say, and not just for Ilia if the look on Blake's face is anything to go by. 

"I... I've never thought about it like that."

She's doing that thing again, the one where she starts to curl in on herself. The one that often precedes her fleeing; and Ilia really doesn't want to be the reason for making Blake want to run. 

"Hey, it's not a big deal... You've had your reasons. Still though, your whole team? That's... is that not a bit messy?"

Blake is sitting cross-legged across from her on the couch, and Ilia mimics the position - it'll probably help Blake feel more comfortable, less like she's being interrogated. Which she is, but like, in a friendly way. 

"It wasn't when we were all still at Beacon. Then, everything happened and I... I ran, like I always do. I hurt Yang, and I'm not sure if she's ever going to forgive me." 

She's picking at nothing, messing with the couch fabric by her boot-clad feet and it's probably a weird thing to do but this whole conversation is weird so Ilia leans over to start unbuckling Blake's boots to pull them off. They're supposed to be getting ready to sleep, might as well make some steps towards it. 

For her part, Blake just lets her do it. Once they're off, Ilia drops them off the edge of the couch and pointedly ignores the odd, fragile way Blake is looking at her. It's... been a long time since Blake's looked her way like that, and it's causing her stomach to flutter. Instead, she does the same with her own shoes, dropping them on the floor as she speaks. 

"You can't keep blaming yourself for what happened at Beacon. It's not healthy, or fair. What do Weiss and Ruby have to say about it all?"

"I've actually not really had a chance to speak to Ruby about it myself, but Weiss has. She said that it should hopefully fix itself, provided I don't leave them all again."

Looking at Blake just now, it's obvious she doesn't believe the words herself - and honestly, Ilia isn't too convinced either. But it's hard, sitting here and watching Blake as her heart is breaking. She's still turned away from Blake with her feet on the ground after taking her shoes off, and when Blake next looks up at her she motions for her to lay down in her lap. 

The fact that the offer is accepted is a surprise, but a welcome one. 

_Like I can really lecture anyone about healthy behaviour, while still cuddling up to a girl I know I have no chance with._

The irony is not lost on Ilia about any part of this whole interaction, but Blake seems content enough with the offered affection, her eyes sliding closed as fingers start to comb through her hair. Unlike most, she doesn't shy away from massaging the little fur-covered ears at the top of Blake's head - it's not the same when another faunus does it, not as patronising, and Blake seems to settle a little with the act of comfort. 

"I just... I feel like I'm still waiting for something else bad to happen. I know we dealt with the White Fang at Haven, but Adam got away. If he's out there, it's not finished yet. There's no way he would just give up like that."

Ilia hums, not answering yet. Her fingers busy themselves in Blake's hair, starting to braid a little section of it. She's always liked Blake's dark hair, it's truly a feature that suits her name. The braid is about halfway finished when she does finally answer, the words quiet when she does. 

"That's probably true, but you won't be alone if or when he shows back up again. And you know Adam, he doesn't do anything without a plan. He won't act without backup, and he doesn't have any anymore."

It's that comment that prompts Blake's eyes to slide open, those bright golden eyes of hers landing on Ilia's. "That's what I'm worried about. It could take years, and I don't know if I can keep looking over my shoulder for much longer."

Smiling down at Blake in a way she hopes is comforting, Ilia begins to tie off the end of the braid she's worked into the other girl's hair. "You can't keep thinking like that. It might never happen, you can't go the rest of your life worrying about that asshole."

Blake sighs, eyes closing once again as she leans into Ilia's hands that have resumed combing through the rest of her hair. And if there's a possessive little part of her that enjoys the sight of the braid in Blake's hair knowing that she put it there... well, that's her business. 

"I guess," is all she says, and a not-entirely uncomfortable silence settles between them both, Ilia continuing her motions and hoping they're offering some comfort. 

_Maybe it's time for a change of topic... At least I've gotten my answer about her team and their... friendliness._

There's a tiny, horny part of her that wants to pry for more information on that topic, but it's kind of passed now and there hasn't been any opportunity to return to it. There is, however, one more question that hasn't been answered yet and while it's not likely to be anymore light-hearted, she's as equally unlikely to get Blake to herself like this again anytime soon. 

"Okay so, I do have one more question..."

Blake laughs. Well, no, not quite - it's more like a little huff of air, but Ilia is still going to count it. 

"You've not been slow to ask so far, why stop now?" 

And Ilia wants to be annoyed at the hint of teasing, but after the heavy discussion they've just had she'll suffer it if it makes Blake happy. 

"When Jaune mentioned Pyrrha's mom, your team all gave each other one of those weird looks. Did something happen with you guys and Pyrrha?"

Blake stiffens under her hands, and Ilia braces to be brushed off again. After a tense minute, in which Blake seems to be debating something, she relaxes once more and an answer slides from her tongue. 

"We kind of had a bit of a thing with Pyrrha, not long before she... died."

And as much as it's wrong and Ilia hates herself for it, that horny part of her does immediately reignite at what has just been shared. Before she has a chance to ask further about it, Blake keeps going. 

"I don't even know if her team knew about it, and now it's been far too long for us to ask them."

Only after Blake shifts a little under her hands does she realise they've frozen in her hair, resuming the motion of combing through, if a little stilted compared to how she had been before. She'd had at least some suspicions about Blake and her team after having caught them in the act a few times - and at least once literally - but this was a true blindsiding. 

There's another part of her, smaller and smothered, that has just sparked somewhere deep within - if they had a thing with Pyrrha in the past, then it's not impossible they'd do something like that again.

_Don't be getting your hopes up, that was years ago when they were still in school. Things have changed since then._

That said, this might be the only time Blake has her guard down enough to talk about the subject, and she's not going to waste it. 

"Am I allowed to ask what happened with you guys and her?"

Blake smirks, still laying prone with her head in Ilia's lap, and one eye cracks open to peer up at her friend with a knowing look. "Curious are you?"

"Oh, _very._ "

Blake huffs, another fragile little breath of a laugh. "We fucked, was kind of the result of the build up of a few months of teasing and flirting; it was definitely an experience. It's a weird memory to have now, all things considered. But... it's nice, in a way? Like, there was something we had with her that was special to all of us and us alone." She grins, a shy thing - a marker that there's something else she's remembering and thankfully Ilia doesn't need to pry to get it, as she continues on her own. "I actually still have a couple pictures of her she sent to all of us, on my scroll. I've never been able to delete them. And before you say anything about that, she sent them to all of us so it's not like I'm doing anything bad by having them. I'm pretty sure that Weiss still has hers saved on her scroll too, if maybe not Ruby and Yang. I've never bothered to ask."

And if ever there's been any photos in existence that Ilia has desperately wanted to see, it has to be those ones. But like Blake said, it's something special to all of them and she would never ask, least of all the fact that it would be a huge violation of privacy and the trust Blake has put in her by even telling her this much.

She can still think about it though. Can't take that away from her. 

Taking a chance, she decides to poke fun at her friend instead. "Is there anyone at Beacon you haven't had it in?"

A hand flies up to smack her on the arm, a rightful response to the cheeky comment, and they both laugh. It's nice getting to just be a couple of teenagers together; it's been a long time since either of them have had the chance to have a silly conversation like this and tease each other. Even if it is overhung by the topic of a dead friend, but she supposes it's a way to remember her even though she's gone now. Ilia never knew Pyrrha, but she's pretty sure she'd rather being joked about than the tears that so often seem to follow her mention.

That's what Ilia would want, at least. 

"Hush, you. And I'll have you know that that's the end of the list."

"Still a lot longer than mine."

That causes Blake to pause, and she regards Ilia. The hands in her hair have long stopped moving, instead sitting idly and occasionally rubbing one of Blake's ears - she can't help it, they are very cute. Blake doesn't seem to mind. 

"Really? How long is your list?"

And now it's Ilia's turn to flush, the conversation finally turning against her and not Blake. "Um... nonexistent?"

"Really?" She finally has Blake's full attention, and unfortunately it's on a topic she would rather it not be.

"Jeez, don't sound so surprised..."

Blake continues looking up at her, but it's different now - softer and affectionate, as she smiles up at her old friend. 

"You're such a sweetheart, Ilia. You'll find someone, someone who makes you feel good and happy."

"Like your team do for you?"

"Yea, exactly."

And then she does something, something new that she's never done before - a hand seeks out one of Ilia's, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand and holding it against her chest like it's something to be treasured and _oh, Blake..._

_Why do you have to be so easy to love?_

That's the end of the conversation, and it's not awkward, or stilted, or tense...

It's... nice. 

Ilia resumes her playing with Blake's hair until she starts to doze off, still laying in Ilia's lap and it's then that they actually start to settle down to sleep.

Blake strips off her jacket, draping it over the arm of the couch and fetching one of the blankets lying around as Ilia sheds her own jacket and strips herself of her trousers. She's in just her top and underwear, but it's hardly as if Blake hasn't seen her in similar states of undressed before. 

Ilia doesn't comment when Blake keeps her own jeans on - old insecurities, no doubt. It can't be the most comfortable, but she's certainly not going to press the issue. The real surprise is when Blake returns to the same couch Ilia is still sitting on, instead of the other one free across the room. 

She doesn't refuse, when Blake settles down against the opposite arm of the sofa facing Ilia, holding the blanket open not unlike how Weiss had done the previous night. And sure, she definitely knows better than to cuddle up to the target of her affections but really, why would she ever refuse?

Despite the years between the last time they had been so comfortable together, it doesn't feel strange. 

It just feels... right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes for this chapter:  
> Like I said last chapter, I decided to make it official that Pumpkin Pollination happened in the same universe as this one and that's what Blake is referring to in her talk with Ilia. However, the mention of the photos sent by Pyrrha is something I've flirted with adding to that story and haven't yet, but probably will. Just gotta watch this space I guess, if y'all wanna read about that ;)
> 
> As always, kudos and comments welcome! :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can Ilia's weapon shoot? I don't remember it being used that way, just her using it as a whip/sword. Just wondering, in case any of you know?
> 
> I'm most likely gonna skip over the actual established bits of the story in favour of adding my own spin on stuff unless there's something I feel like adding, which you'll kind of see in this chapter.
> 
> As always you can find me on Tumblr! @shallitickleyournerdbutton
> 
> Enjoy!

There are several things that wake her in the morning, most of them unpleasant - sun streaming in through the curtains and managing to hit a bullseye right in her face, a stiff back from laying half on Blake all night, and a full bladder. Being tucked snuggly in Blake's arms is almost nice enough to make up for most of it, and she attempts to fall back asleep. 'Almost' being the key word; she only manages a few more minutes, before it becomes too uncomfortable.

The arms around her tighten a split-second before she tries to push herself up out of their embrace, holding her down and forcing an amused laugh out of her.

"Blake, let me up."

A grumble is all the answer she receives, being ignored as she tries to pull away to no avail. If anything, Blake is squeezing her tighter.

"Let me up, or I'm going to pee on you. Is that what you want?"

Blake still hasn't let her go, but after another long moment and a grumble she's released and allowed to sit up. The second she's on her feet, Blake wraps the blanket back around herself like a cocoon leaving virtually nothing of her visible.

Ilia laughs as she heads for the door. "You're ridiculous. And if I'm up then other people probably will be soon so enjoy it while it lasts."

No answer comes, and she begins to make her way down the hall, only noticing the noise of someone else in the bathroom a second before it opens. Ruby jumps a little at seeing Ilia standing right there, her features moving to school themselves when she does. Speed semblance aside, she wasn't fast enough to do so before Ilia had a look at her. There's something clearly on her mind - for a girl decked head-to-toe in red, she's looking rather blue.

But at least Ruby isn't as intimidating as the rest of her team, so Ilia just asks her outright about it. "You okay, Ruby?"

If she had her cape around her shoulders just now, Ilia is certain she'd have shrunk into it at the pointed question. She doesn't have her cape though, so instead she fidgets with nothing, feet kicking at the rug under them.

"I just... How am I supposed to do this when I can't even get my own team to stop fighting? Everyone keeps looking at me to make decisions and sure, I'm good in a fight, but all of this? Even my uncle doesn't know what to do anymore..."

"Hmm," is all Ilia says, still absorbing the information Ruby's just deposited on her.

Ruby looks over at her, a hand moving to rub awkwardly at the back of her head. "Sorry, I... just forget I said anything."

"I don't think you have to worry so much. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't even have made it this far."

"Really?"

Just with what little Ilia has said so far, Ruby has perked up impressively. If she were a faunus, there'd probably be a set of dog ears propped up on her head. Hell, maybe a tail wagging behind her. It's more than a little cute.

"We'd probably never have woken up in the house if it weren't for you being there. We'd have chucked that relic down the well and called it a day. And we'd definitely have been screwed by the Apathy without you."

"I..."

"The only reason we've even made it this far is because of you. And I know I'm new to the group, but if I can already see that much then I can only imagine how much everyone else believes in you. So... maybe start believing in yourself a little more?"

Ruby beams up at her, and even more so when Ilia presses a hand to her shoulder. "You really think so?"

"Yea, I do. You've got a good head on your shoulders." Then Ilia laughs, mostly at herself, before adding, "Trust me, I'd know. I've been the person without one of those myself. When you end up looking down the barrel of your friends' weapons, it miiight be time to rethink. But until then, you're doing fine."

Ruby looks at her, bright silver eyes blinking slowly for a moment in a way very similar to how Blake does sometimes - now that Ilia's in the know about their relationship, it makes sense for them all to resemble each other now and then. It's still quite nice to see it in action, though.

_I can see why she loves you all so much, even if I am still a bit jealous..._

"Thank you, Ilia. I feel a bit better, now."

Ruby leans up to tug her down into a hug, a fleeting and tight one, pulling away before she has a chance to return it fully. It does have the unfortunate effect of reminding her that she hasn't been to the bathroom yet, but Ruby heads around her and into the living room before it becomes a problem.

_I should start charging for these therapy sessions if the whole "saving the world" thing goes tits up. All I need is for Weiss to confess something to me, and it'll be a full bingo._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Both Ruby and Blake's voices can be heard talking lowly as she returns, the two of them cutting their conversation short when she appears in the doorway; it's fine though, she could hazard a pretty good guess as to the topic and it's not one she really feels like participating in again so soon. Ilia barely has dropped back onto the couch by Blake's side before an arm wraps around her neck, tugging her in for a one-sided hug that forces an indignant squawk out of her. A similar one from Ruby on the other side of the sofa at least informs Ilia that she's not the only one being mistreated, Blake's voice having more than a little whine to it as the other two try to squirm away from her manhandling of them.

"I can't believe you two have gotten me up first, even Nora isn't up yet."

Matching the playful aura being output by Blake, Ruby replies while unsuccessfully still trying to wriggle away from the arm she's trapped under, a bit of a laugh in her words as she does so. "You were up third, actually."

"You sassing me, Rose?"

And Ilia isn't too certain who started it - it _might_ have been her, who can say for sure - but it quickly decends into a two-on-one fight on the couch, until Blake is pinned under both her and Ruby in retaliation for being such a pest this morning.

"Gonna apologise for your behaviour so far this morning?"

"Never."

The word is half-muffled by the couch, Blake laughing as she refuses to concede their victory. None of them take notice of how weird it probably looks, not until Weiss' voice comes from the doorway - grumpy and scolding, yet somehow managing to sound amused.

"What are you dolts doing? I could hear you all squealing from upstairs."

Ruby doesn't even look up, answering in such a matter of fact way that Ilia is convinced these kind of antics are common amongst them all. Which really wouldn't surprise her at all from what's she's seen of team RWBY so far.

"Blake's being a brat. She can get up when she apologises."

"How was she-- actually no, I don't care." Weiss turns on her heel, heading for the kitchen and leaving them to it.

At her departure, Blake calls at her back. "Good morning to you too, Weiss! Thanks for the assist, much appreciated."

"You're welcome!" Is the response from the kitchen and Blake finally deflates under them, seemingly running out of steam to keep fighting and realising she's very much on losing ground.

Or on losing furniture, certainly.

"Okay, fine. I apologise."

"Apologise for what?"

"For... being mean?"

Ilia and Ruby glance at each other, deciding that it's good enough and releasing her. They both brace for her to act up again, but she just slumps against the couch, pouting at them both.

"I can't believe you both ganged up on me like that. Low blow."

"And we'll do it again, so watch yourself." Ilia responds, prompting another frown from Blake in her direction; she's obviously trying not to break character, which is pretty funny.

"Low. Blow."

While Weiss is still distracted in the kitchen, and Blake has finally been unapprehended and is on better behaviour, Ilia does have a question to ask about what Weiss had said when she first appeared.

"What's a 'dolt'?"

"Oh! It's... uh..."

Ruby and Blake look at each other for a second, before coming up empty.

"I actually don't know. I've never known, she's the only person I've ever heard use that word."

"Do you think Yang knows?"

"I doubt it."

"Should we ask Weiss?"

"No! We can't ask now, it's been way too long."

They seem to realise that Ilia is watching this interaction with amusement, Ruby eventually settling on an answer. "I just take it to mean that she loves us."

"Yea, you'll learn to speak Weiss if you're around her long enough."

_Well you two idiots clearly haven't yet, so why the fuck would I?_

"Uh huh," is what she answers instead, completely unconvinced.

Surely they mean Weiss loves them, and she just happened to also be here? The thought of being around Weiss, of being around any of them, for a long time is far from unpleasant though but she's not gonna say that right now and risk drawing attention to her tentative position in their little group.

The girl in question chooses that moment to join them again, a mug of coffee in her hands that looks to be a bit too big for her, and moves to sit on one of the free couches. Thinking about her snooping around the kitchen for the biggest one is both cute and amusing in equal measure.

"There's a pot of coffee in the kitchen if anyone wants some-- _not_ you, Ruby. You're already too hyper this morning and I'm not being stuck on babysitting duty."

Weiss didn't even look up from her coffee, somehow just knowing that Ruby had moved to go get herself some caffeine instinctually. With no shortage of amusement, Ilia looks over to see the other girl drop grumpily back in her seat as she looks to Blake for support.

Support she's most definitely not getting, Blake having spent a chunk of their morning so far with Ruby sitting on her - and not in a fun way.

Well, a little bit of a fun way, actually; for Ilia and Ruby, if maybe not Blake.

Blake just meets Ruby's pout with a grin, and no intentions of offering backup. Ruby gives up fast, her attention dropping to something just over Blake's shoulder instead.

"Is that a braid? Did you braid your hair?"

Blake's hand reaches up to feel for the braided strand, thumbing it between her fingers. "I forgot it was there, Ilia did it last night."

"Awww were you two up late talking about cute girls and braiding each other's hair?"

Blake laughs, unbothered by the teasing even if Ilia can feel herself wanting to flush pink around the edges again. "Close enough, I guess."

Another gust of rose petals marks Ruby moving to deposit herself next to Ilia on the other side of the couch, the girl leaning in with her hands up by her face in a way very similar to their first meeting in the train station when she reappears. She's very close to Ilia, but she'd be a dirty liar if she were to claim it to be bothering her.

"Ooh can I have one too? Please?"

How anyone could say no to that face is a mystery, and she has no real incentive to do so, shrugging. "If you'd like. Turn around?"

Ruby does as she's asked, shifting excitedly in her spot as Ilia begins to braid a little section of her hair, just behind her right ear - roughly the same spot she'd placed the one in Blake's hair. She's wiggling about _just_ enough to make the task marginally harder than it should be, but it's cute enough Ilia wouldn't dream of telling her to stop.

She pointedly ignores how the sight of the braid in Ruby's hair tugs at that same little possessive part of her as it had when it was Blake, and the swirl of emotions threatening to rise up under her skin as a result.

_What is wrong with me? I could get it when it was Blake, but Ruby too?_

"What about you Weiss? Don't wanna match with us?" Blake still has that tone in her voice, prodding deliberately at the one girl in the room she's hasn't annoyed yet this morning.

Weiss looks over their way, blue eyes lidded as she sips at her cup of coffee, and looking very much like a girl not in the mood. But then she sighs, getting up to saunter around the table and drop down onto the - increasingly crowded - couch.

"Sure, why not." It's not even really a question, lacking the usual lilt up at the end as would be expected, and she turns to Ilia. "Only if you can be bothered though, my hair is a lot longer than Ruby's."

And it really is; even up in her usual ponytail it reached down to Weiss' ass - not that Ilia had been looking, obviously.

_Bullshit, yes you were._

But now that it was down, it probably reached to about halfway down her thigh and really that must be super tiring to maintain. Ilia has her own hair long, but Weiss' was just ridiculous. And gorgeous. And who's she kidding, if she had hair like Weiss' she'd probably have it the exact same.

"I don't mind," is what she ends up saying, starting to section a bit of it away from the rest and doing as she's been requested. It does take a much longer time to do than it had for Blake, and Ruby's short hair had barely taken a minute or two.

Yang comes stomping down the stairs while she's still working her way through her task, and from the loud steps Ilia is half-braced for her to still be in a mood but she actually rocks up with a grin, and in much better spirits than last night. Maybe Ruby worked some sort of magic to get her in a better mood?

"Morning~" Yang stops in the doorway, clearly entertained by the sight of Ilia braiding Weiss' hair as everyone returns her greeting. "What's with all this?"

Ruby bounces in her seat, jostling Ilia and Weiss a bit with her excitement. "Ilia is giving us all braids! It's cute, we're matching!"

Ilia's in the home stretch of doing Weiss' hair, and she speaks to Yang without looking up - if she lets go of Weiss' hair this far in who knows how far back it could set her work. "Do you want one too?"

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks though." Yang moves to sit on the free couch, halting mid-stride and turning to head into the kitchen when Weiss informs her of the coffee she'd brewed earlier.

_Have I annoyed her or something? The rest of her team were happy to have one..._

And it was an effort, it truly was, but eventually she finishes the braid in Weiss' hair and moves it to drape over the other girl's shoulder so she can see it. Weiss makes a surprised little noise at it, and it absolutely _does not_ give Ilia a weird flutter in her stomach in response. Nope. Not at all.

Deciding to ask before Yang wanders back in, Ilia hesitantly speaks the question on her mind to the girls seated around her. "Um... I haven't annoyed Yang or something, have I?"

They all kind of give her an odd look, Ruby being the first to understand why she's thinking that. "Because of the braids? Nah, Yang just doesn't really like people touching her hair."

"Yea, have to be at least a level four friend to unlock that feature." Blake laughs at her own stupid joke, and it gets a snort from Ruby too. Ilia just shakes her head at them both.

It's then that she feels fingers messing with her own ponytail, turning to see Weiss having finally finished her coffee and... braiding some of Ilia's hair? She glances up, blue eyes meeting blue, before going back to her task.

"It's only fair you have one too, since you did ours."

"Yea! You can match with us, Ilia."

"That... that'd be nice, yea. Thanks Ruby, Weiss."

The words don't come out anywhere near as cool as she'd been aiming for, awkward and forced; and there's that flutter again, even stronger now. Glancing over to Blake doesn't help much at all, the other faunus staring right at her as she does and holding her eye.

_Shit. Does she know? Quit looking at me like that, Blake._

Blake wiggles her brows in return, forcing Ilia to look away before she risks giving anything else away, and Ilia is just gonna pretend that it's the lingering presence of her earlier playful mood. Yea. That's what it is.

Yang is the only one out of their group now without a braid, and Ruby pouts in her direction when she returns to the living room. Yang sees her doing it, and just smirks into her coffee. She's not surprised when Ruby moves to sit beside her, and starts messing with sister's hair.

"And you're doing what, exactly?"

"Giving you a braid, you party pooper."

"And if I don't want one?"

"Tough. I'm the leader, you're overruled."

Yang snorts a little, holding in a laugh at how petulant Ruby sounds right now as she looks over at the three on the other couch and ignoring her sister as she begins doing exactly as she said. "So, what's the plan for today then? Stealing a ship probably won't be easy."

There's a heavy beat of quiet between them all, broken only by Ruby's uncharacteristically soft voice.

"Well... I do have a plan, but you're probably not going to like it..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ruby was right. None of them like the plan, but it's the only one they've got.

Or it was - when it had been on track. Much like their doomed trip to Argus, it hadn't remained that way for long.

She'd had a bad feeling when Blake and Yang left on the bike, but they'd all been jittery that morning and she'd not paid it much mind. Now, she really wishes she'd said or done something.

Fighting this huge fucking robot would have been enough of a hassle, without worrying about Blake and Yang the whole time. Unfortunately, she's particularly useless in this specific situation too, being mostly a stealth, close-up fighter - not much use for a whip against an opponent hundreds of metres tall and standing out at sea, that's for damn sure.

It does come in handy at one point as Ilia is the only one who reacts fast enough to Ruby falling short of the cliff, Lightning Lash managing to wrap around her wrist just as she'd reached out. Qrow had been quick to grab ahold of Ilia before she'd gone tumbling over the side after Ruby; the redhead giving her a smile in thanks for catching her, even if she is rubbing at her wrist due to it being constricted.

_Better than that fall would have been, at least._

Blake and Yang come running out of the trees right as Cordovin starts screaming the city down, her mech limp and weighed down by the exploded dust encapsulating it's arm.

Yang's eyes go wide as she sets them on the mech. "You guys fought that?!"

But Ilia isn't focused on her, no; she doesn't know how she knows, but she just does - the second her and Blake lock eyes she knows just from the look on her face what happened, their conversation last night flooding back as Blake crosses towards her and throws herself towards her old friend. Ilia has already wrapped her up in a hug by the time her mind has caught up to her body, Blake letting out a broken sob into her shoulder as she shakes.

"He found me."

She doesn't even know what to say, instead opting to just hold Blake a little tighter until she's ready to let go. This time, Ilia doesn't stop her skin from changing how it wishes - flashing red, then green, then finally settling on blue. No one else moves to comfort Blake, and it takes her a moment to understand why...

She's probably the one who understands the best just how Blake must be feeling right now, having been the only one actually witness to what Adam had meant to her, and is probably the best person for her right now. The fact that the rest of team RWBY seem to understand that... it's weirdly sweet.

Yang is just standing looking at the two hugging in front of her, and Ilia mouths a question to her over Blake's shoulder.

_"You okay?"_

It takes a moment, and Yang glances down to her hand where Ilia expects it to be shaking again, like it had been back at the farm.

But it's not.

When Yang looks back up to catch Ilia's eye, she doesn't answer. Instead, she takes a few large strides across the distance, pulling both Blake and Ilia into her arms. Ilia feels her nod rather than sees it, Yang's head half-pressed atop her and Blake's own thanks to the extra few inches she has on them.

" _We're_ going to be okay."

It's a small difference in phrasing, but the smallest things are often times the most powerful. At her words, Blake lets out another little sob, and Yang doesn't move away from embracing them both - and Ilia can't quite say for certain but between her holding Ilia in the hug, and the way she said that...

It most definitely feels like it includes her, too.

Ruby has seemingly run out of patience, as she squeals happily a split-second before Ilia feels her launch herself into the hug, Weiss following after - if a little bit more cool about it than their leader.

She's never been a part of a group hug before, and she's _definitely_ never been in the centre of one.

And, quite honestly, she never wants to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes for this chapter:  
> I think it would be super cute for them all to have a matching something, so why not add it myself?
> 
> I'm headcannoning Weiss as Not A Morning Person, I think that's cute of her. And I'm a big fan of Blake being the "gremlin friend", like we've seen a little bit of from her in volumes 7 and 8, considering she's taken every chance to crack jokes at her friends' expense recently.
> 
> As always, kudos and comments welcome!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man writing this fucking story is really putting into perspective how little time actually passes during volume 6 and into volume 7. Fortunately, there appears to be something of a montage of time passing in the middle of vol 7, so I'm gonna be using that time in there to fill in with this story.
> 
> This chapter is interspersed with sections of a conversation between team RWBY where they discuss their... _intentions_ towards Ilia. ^.^ It's deliberately left vague as to exactly when this discussion happened, and I put it in this chapter as this is kind of the start of them starting to press against Ilia's boundaries a little and testing her reaction. ;) This chapter is a fair bit longer as a result, and because I was trying to figure out exactly how I was gonna format everything, both in this one and going forward and I think I've got a good idea now. 
> 
> Also! I updated Pumpkin Pollination with a third chapter to go with the last one in this story, I forgot to mention it when I updated this one a few days ago so I'm doing it now ^^'
> 
> As always, find me on tumblr @shallitickleyournerdbutton!
> 
> Enjoy!

Mantle hasn't changed much at all in the time she's been gone. Still the same overcast sky, wet weather, and cold air as she remembers. The people... haggard, and drowning themselves in their vices; some of whom, are doing so literally. Others, lash out - a pair of drunks snipe at Blake, and she only narrowly stops herself from lashing back at them in kind before Weiss does it for her anyways. She spies some kids hiding in an alley, bringing along memories she thought she'd left behind. Her bones ache to run again.

Coming back here was a mistake. Maybe not for all of them, but for her.

"Has it always been like this?"

Ilia isn't even certain who asked the question, her focus splintered across the path they've walked so far through the city and doing what she can to ignore the ghosts on her peripheral. Without realising, her breathing has picked up to a point where it's almost surprising no one has noticed yet, and she hisses out a response to the question in the air before Weiss has the chance to voice whatever she had been about to.

"The soldiers are new." There's an edge to her voice, one she couldn't quite keep from sneaking in, though the exact emotion is a mystery even to Ilia herself. Blake looks her way, a question shimmering under the surface of those bright eyes of hers and just begging to be asked, but whatever it is she wants to say it is going to have to wait until they're somewhere safer.

Now is not the time to have fresh eyes scanning over old wounds.

After far too long creeping through the familiar streets from her childhood, they locate Maria's friend - receiving few answers, and yet plenty of problems. It ends up being a lost cause, as the alarms on the walls sound, the same old shrieking screams they made years ago bringing with them the first tinge of a headache.

Fighting some grimm proves a very welcome distraction, these ones are within range of her weapon and giving plenty of opportunity for her to vent her mixed feelings on them, moving recklessly through the horde. She doesn't notice herself racking up quite the body count, nor the concerned looks being sent at her back from the four girls forced into extending deliberate effort to cover it for her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, to say this is the first time Ilia has found herself in cuffs would be a lie...

"Easy to say for a Schnee heiress living comfortably up in Atlas."

...but it is the first time she's wanted to punch someone else _more_ than the assholes who arrested her.

Weiss sighs softly by her side, a faraway look in her eye as she does so and avoiding looking at anyone directly. "Not anymore." She's always been small, even next to Ilia, but she shrinks even more at what is very clearly unwanted attention.

Truthfully, Ilia can relate - if for rather different reasons, that said.

And there's still that part of her, wound up and irritable at the way this shithole is already affecting her, and she protectively shuffles closer to Weiss' on the bench. Pressing their shoulders together, Weiss glances up for a second to meet her eye and well, Ilia isn't the only one hurting at being back here.

It's odd, to have something in common with _Weiss Schnee_ of all people. But, if one thing has become very apparent in Ilia's short time with her, it's that she definitely doesn't deserve to have such vitriol spat at her. And, honestly? Ilia is in enough of a mood for both of them, her gaze snapping away from Weiss still turned away from everyone towards the guy in the other corner of the airship.

"I suggest you shut it, none of us are interested in what _you_ have to say."

"And who are you?" If her fellow Mantelians have ever been good for anything, it's having bark and no bite. Well, unluckily for this guy, Ilia has both.

"Someone who's seriously debating shutting you up, _permanently_ , if you don't take my warning for what it is."

"Pfft, oh yea?"

She's up out of her seat now, the cuffs around her wrists doing nothing to keep her from moving - and they're not anywhere near enough to stop her from punting this douche out the side of the ship, consequences be damned. At the back of her mind, the tingle of her skin changing to match her temper registers, but she's too vexed to care much.

" _Yea_. I've fucked up enough morons like you to know when I have the advantage. So, **I dare you** , keep trying me."

"Uh..."

Someone puts themself between Ilia and what is no doubt a person about to become a victim of some - absolutely deserved - grievous bodily harm, and it takes a second for her to realise it's Blake. The other faunus leans down into her sight, blocking off her attempt to cross the airship and catching her friend's eye with concern.

"Ilia, leave it. _Please._ "

Blake's doing that thing again, like she had back in her home in Menagerie, using that soft voice that instantly pulls at Ilia's heart. It's a dirty move, and they both know it... but it does work. The hot air propping her up escapes in a metaphorical whistle of steam, and she falls back into her seat next to Weiss, who leans against Ilia in an effort to comfort her - and maybe in at least a little bit of thanks, for taking the attention away from her.

Yang's voice comes from somewhere to Ilia's side, low and warning and Ilia doesn't need to look over to imagine the red tint to her eyes as she speaks at one _incredibly_ lucky political dissenter.

"I'd be _quiet_ now, if I were you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_"So... what do you guys think of Ilia?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"She fits in with us pretty well, don't you think?"_

_"I guess she does, yea."_

_"Ruby, if you have something to say spit it out."_

_"I think she's cute and I like her being with us! There, I said it."_

_"She is very cute."_

_"It's not that I don't agree but... what are you getting at?"_

_"I think it would be nice if she never had to go."_

_"You... want to invite Ilia in?"_

_"Yea, I do."_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For everything that Ilia had expected Weiss to be, Winter more than makes up for it - almost exactly the uptight girl Ilia had expected to meet back in the train station in Mistral.

_Small mercies, I definitely lucked out with the Schnee sister I got._

It's not that Winter has done anything _bad_ per se, but she definitely seems to have an icicle shoved right up her and Ilia can't help the sheer relief at the apparent miracle that is Weiss' possession of a sense of humour. Even if it is a bit skewed sometimes.

Also not missed is the questioning look Winter sends her sister's way at seeing her holding hands with Ruby during their meeting with Ironwood - under no circumstances is Ilia willing to call him "General". There's enough bootlickers in this room, as is. Winter's attempts to catch Weiss' eye become even more obvious when Yang moves up against Weiss' side, tossing an easy arm around her shoulders and pressing a kiss to her head as they all depart from the meeting.

Weiss deliberately avoids looking in Winter's direction for the time being, and _that's_ gonna be one hell of an awkward family conversation.

_Gotta say, I'm glad I'm not involved in that whole thing right about now. Wonder what Winter's going to say when she finds out what's actually going on._

The thought alone is enough is almost enough to cheer her up, and she doesn't actually notice the fact that Blake is hovering around near Ilia instead of the rest of her team.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They've barely left the meeting room when a hand snakes around her arm, and she's tugged firmly into one of the many rooms connected to the hallway. Spinning around towards whoever it is that has a grip of her and already reaching for her weapon, Ilia comes face-to-face with Blake. A hand catches her wrist before she can activate the taser function of her weapon, and it's only removed once Ilia relaxes.

"Um, what the hell? If you wanted me alone there's better ways to do it - like _asking_."

It wasn't too long ago that the thought of being trapped in a closet with Blake would have come under the "yes please" section of potential outcomes for her, but somehow Ilia has her doubts this is going to be a fun interaction.

"Yea, I know. But I needed to talk to you, and I don't really want to waste anymore time."

"Okay? Well, what is it?"

"Right, uh... I guess I just want to know, are you okay? What was all that on the airship?"

Turns out Ilia was right - this is not going to be a fun interaction, at all. Her skin bristles and demands to change at being put on the spot, but she manages to push it away. "What do you mean?"

"...I'm just going to say it, you've been acting kind of crazy since we got here and... we're a little concerned?"

_Crap. It's been that obvious?_

Blake is just standing there watching her, bright golden eyes focused intently in Ilia's direction and waiting patiently for her to talk, and Ilia breaks their eye contact. Knowing Blake, she'd probably wait here for hours if need be - if Ilia needed her to.

But, she doesn't have to.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I... I'm not sure how well I'm handling being back here, I haven't been back since I left years ago, after everything happened."

Blake doesn't respond, and Ilia glances up just in time to see her give one of those long blinks, just like Ruby had earlier, before she moves forward to pull Ilia snug against her in a hug. And still, there's that part of Ilia that just melts into it because it's _Blake._

"Oh, Ilia... Why did you come along with us if it was going to be hard for you?"

She laughs into Blake's neck, an empty sound not coming from any kind of mirth or happiness. "Because a bunch of pretty girls asked me to?"

" _Ilia._ "

"Sorry... I just thought that I'd be able to handle it. It's been years, I should have moved on, I had moved on! But then... I actually got here, it's just the exact same. Full of the same shitty places and the same shitty people and-- and it's hard. Really hard."

On the last word, her voice breaks a little and her eyes start to burn, and she stops talking as a hand rubs circles over her back. It's nice being held, and Blake doesn't seem to have any intentions of letting her go soon.

"We won't make you stay, if it's too hard for you to be here or you just don't want to be, but... if you do intend on staying, you don't have to just suffer alone. You can lean on us - my whole team, not just me." Up until this point, Blake's words had been soft; almost insultingly so, if it weren't exactly what she needs right now. Yet, true to her character, Ilia can practically _feel_ the smirk through their hug when Blake continues. "They like you a lot, by the way."

"Really? What have they said about me?"

And... it's almost embarrassing how quickly she's perked up at Blake's comment, the other girl almost certainly feeling her do so and choosing that moment to pull away from their embrace. There's definitely a glint of something in Blake's gaze when she meets Ilia's eyes again, but she enjoys nothing more than getting to play coy, and seemingly especially so when it's at Ilia's expense.

"Hmm... Not my secret to tell."

"That's so mean! Why bring it up then?"

"Because you're easy to tease. Come on, they're probably waiting on us."

Blake doesn't allow her much chance to argue, a hand grabbing hold of one of Ilia's as the other opens the door back out into the hall - where the rest of team RWBY are waiting for them, exactly as Blake had said they would be.

Yang is leaning against the wall just to the side of the door they've exited from, Ruby and Weiss sitting next to each other on the floor by her feet chatting quietly. They cut off quickly at the appearance of Blake and Ilia, Ruby flashing onto her feet with her semblance and offering a hand to Weiss to pull her up too. Yang pushes off the wall and stretches her arms up above her, looking over Ilia and Blake as she does.

"Penny showed us where we're staying. Spoiler alert: it's the dorms."

Blake grins at her in response, crossing her arms. "I've slept in worse places, lead the way?"

"Sure." Yang offers an arm out towards Blake, the other girl startling a little before accepting with a happy smile and looping her own around Yang's waiting one.

_Aww... Good for them. All it took was almost being murdered by a crazy ex-boyfriend, but hey, not like I can judge._

Distracted as she was watching Blake and Yang, Ilia doesn't notice the remaining two members of the team fall into step by her sides until they each wrap an arm around one of hers - very similarly to how the two in front of them just did. Matching looks of concern are being directed at her, one from either girl on her arms, and well... there's definitely worse places for her to be than in the middle of Ruby and Weiss.

"Sorry about sending Blake to corner you, but we were worried."

"Yea. You doing okay?"

And _oh_ , she's doing a lot better now. A lot better - being the centre of attention for a team of attractive girls is probably the best distraction she could have asked for.

She's not going to say that, though.

"I'll be okay, just... just adjusting to being back here."

_And adjusting to you two clinging onto me, but that part I'm definitely not complaining about._

Ruby hums, leaning her head against Ilia's shoulder and tucking herself closer into her side as Weiss does the same on her other side. "Blake told us a little bit about you. Not a lot, but we know you grew up here..." She trails off, probably conscious of bringing up the goliath in the room, and it's enough to get what she was trying to say across. "If you need anything, reach out. We want to help."

Blake's words from their earlier conversation echo back to her, and between them and the two girls cuddled against her, maybe it won't be so bad being back here.

If nothing else, she's not alone.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it." Then, taking a chance, she adds, "You all are definitely making it easier, that's for sure. I'm still glad I let you talk me into tagging along on this suicide mission of yours."

"Hey, it's not a suicide mission!"

"Yet." Weiss snarks back at Ruby, grinning into Ilia's arm as Ruby leans over to stick her tongue out at the cheeky answer. Then, much softer, she replies to Ilia's comment before it. "And we're glad you came along too, it's been nice having you with us."

Ruby agrees with the statement, and they're both looking up at her with matching happy smiles and big, bright eyes and there's that flutter again in her stomach and _oh_...

_Oh no._

_I'm in trouble._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_"Are you sure?"_

_"I think so."_

_"Well, it's okay with me."_

_"Me too."_

_"Really, Weiss?"_

_"Why do you sound so surprised? I've always liked her, I wouldn't mind having more."_

_"You really do like having your cake and eating it, huh?"_

_"Hush, like you can talk. Blake?"_

_"Hmm?"_

_"You've not said much."_

_"I... I guess I'm just a little shocked? That you're all being so okay with the thought of this?"_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blake and Yang pull to a stop at one of the many doorways just up ahead, Yang unlocking the door and holding it open for everyone to enter and it's then that Ilia notices an issue with staying in the dorms - there's not enough beds, the dorms only being equipped for teams of four.

Not four plus one, with her being the plus one.

It's a very lonely thought, and she halts in the doorway; a motion that draws the attentions of both girls still holding onto her, who look up at her in question.

"Everything alright?" Weiss asks, moving so she's standing more in front of Ilia to look at her properly.

She coughs to clear her throat, and some of the uncertainty caught there, before speaking. "Yea, it's just... the rooms aren't really designed for five, that's all..."

Ruby glances over to the beds, realisation dawning on her face at the 'problem', and chiming in with a solution. "Oh, that's fine! I can just bunk in with someone else, I don't mind. I like cuddles anyway!"

Ilia still isn't sure, not wanting to be an inconvenience - especially considering they've all kind of just made back up properly. "Are you sure? I don't want to be putting you out."

Ruby laughs, waving a hand in the air and wiping away the concern from Ilia. "Pfft, don't worry about it. What, did you think you were getting away from us?"

Yang chooses then to pop her head over Ruby's shoulder, the same silly grin on her face as being sported by her sister. "Yea, nice try but you're stuck with us for now."

For what is probably the first time since they landed in Mantle hours ago, a real smile breaks out on Ilia's face in response to the two of them, and how easy they're making this for her; maybe a little too easy, as truthfully she should probably be trying to keep some distance from them all.

She really doesn't want to, though.

"Thank you, I don't really want to be alone either."

"See? Problem, fixed."

If only everything had as simple a solution as this problem did but small victories still count, and Ilia is feeling pretty victorious right now.

Yang and Ruby continue their antics for just another short second, before snapping into more proper stances as their attentions drift to something over Ilia's shoulder.

"Weiss. A word, please."

Turning to the new voice, Ilia is greeted with the sight of one Winter Schnee - back straight, face unreadable, and stick still firmly lodged up where the sun don't shine, apparently. Her purpose for coming to seek out her sister is obvious enough, and Winter feels no need to elaborate as she doesn't say anything else. Somewhere behind her, Ilia hears Weiss push herself up off the bed she'd been sitting on and she moves to follow her sister, who has already turned and strode off down the hall. With a quick spin at the door, Weiss mouths to them all to wish her luck, before striding off to catch up to Winter.

"Well, it didn't take Winter long to notice something - we weren't even really doing anything." Ruby is still standing in her spot directly in front of Ilia, head tilted and a hand to her chin in thought. It's very cute.

_Stop it. You're just making things worse for yourself._

"That's true, I suppose. Sister's intuition maybe? Winter seems like the kind of girl to be the smartest in the room wherever she goes." Yang drops an elbow onto Ruby's shoulder, and from where Ilia is standing it's clear that she's pressing down on her sister at least slightly intentionally, Ruby directing an annoyed look up at her from being used as an armrest.

"Do you guys think Winter is going to be okay with Weiss when she finds out?" Blake fidgets with her nails, not looking up as she speaks and Ilia can guess why - if there's anyone on team RWBY likely to get a knee-jerk reaction from someone from Atlas, it's probably going to be the faunus. Yang wanders over to her side, wrapping an arm around Blake and pulling her hands away from picking at each other.

It's shit, but that's how it is. Weiss might be different, but she's the only one who can really vouch for Winter. Though, with that thought brings an answer, and Ilia speaks before either of the others have the chance to.

"I don't know anything about Winter, but Weiss didn't seem too worried about going to talk with her. She'd know better than anyone what to expect. Do any of you know much about Winter?"

They all shake their heads, Ruby being the one to respond while Blake and Yang are distracted. "I've only met her once before, she came to visit Weiss at Beacon." Then she snorts, clearly remembering something. "Actually, she did end up fighting with Qrow right out in front of the school. Now that I'm thinking about that, I can't imagine her and Weiss are all that different - Weiss doesn't care about the rest of her family, but she does care about Winter."

What Ruby hasn't said is as informative as what she has - Weiss probably wouldn't care about Winter, if she was the kind of person to be hateful.

"Yea, I don't think you guys should be worrying when Weiss doesn't seem to be."

"Either way, Winter will just have to deal with it. Come on, let's get ready for bed." Yang directs this mostly towards Blake, nudging her with a hip and getting a playful glare back in response, and a kiss on the cheek.

_Typical Blake, playing hot and cold._

The quick kiss on the cheek turns into a proper one as Yang pulls Blake back into her, and Ilia shuffles awkwardly at the door where Weiss has not long departed, feeling a tiny bit uncomfortable about being the odd one out in the room and what that might mean. Ruby notices her hesitating, and raises a brow in her direction.

"Um, it's just... won't me staying in here kind of keep you guys from..?"

Ruby chooses that moment to get just slightly _too_ far into Ilia's space, a smirk on her face sharp enough to sting - it's a very Blake-like expression, and seeing it on their kind-natured leader is more than a little dizzying. Belatedly, Ilia realises she's pretty much now trapped between Ruby and the door, right as the other girl speaks a question tainted red with mischief.

"Keep us from... _what?_ "

The words are sickly sweet, Ruby apparently content to goad and fluster Ilia with her close proximity and intentionally targeted question, as the rest of the team watch this interaction with no small amount of entertainment. Glancing around, it's clear Ilia's getting neither assistance _nor_ an explanation as to the sudden playfulness aimed directly at her, and Ruby has always been cute but this... _this_ is new.

New, and exciting, and more than a little nerve-wracking. The spots on her skin are warm, and she knows without looking that Ruby's behaviour is getting an obvious, and slightly embarrassing, reaction out of her.

"Uh..."

Words aren't coming, and she's leaning heavily back against the door now. Just like her name, Ruby actually does smell slightly of roses and it's noticeable this close. Noticeable, and distracting.

But then, as quick as it arrived, the smirk retreats into a soft smile and Ruby winks at her; seemingly, she's had her fun now. "Don't worry about it, we don't mind you being here."

She turns on her heel, wandering over to jump up onto one of the top bunks next to Yang as the rest of her team busy themselves now there's no show to watch, leaving Ilia feeling flustered and decidedly uncool as she remains leaning against the door for another minute.

_What the fuck was that? And can she do it again, please?_

Looking over at Blake turns out to be a mistake - the other faunus meeting her gaze with that same knowing look she had when Weiss had been braiding Ilia's hair that morning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They've not long began settling down for bed, when Weiss comes barging through the door to the room, slamming it shut behind her and spinning to lean back heavily against it when she does. Immediately, Ilia feels herself brace for some bad news, and there's a tense second before Weiss... starts laughing?

"You're not going to _believe_ what I've just found out about Winter."

"Brothers, Weiss - you scared the shit out of us!"

"Yea! What gives?"

"I know, I'm sorry!" Then she laughs again, moving to stand in the centre of the room so they can all see her from their various spots on the bunks. She paces back and forth a few steps, before standing with her hands on her hips in that way Yang does sometimes - it doesn't quite suit Weiss the same, but she's too distracted to care. "Okay, first of all we both came out to each other which was already a huge shock--"

"Winter's gay?!"

"I mean, I'm not surprised. She does have those vibes."

Weiss' hands move up into the air, motioning for them all to be quiet and let her finish. "If you think that's surprising, guess who she's dating?"

"Is it someone we know?"

"It is, should narrow it down a little."

Ilia can see Blake sitting on the other bunk to her left, and watches as her eyes widen and a hand moves to cover her mouth. She only speaks one word, muffled by her hand and dripping in disbelief; and apparently the only one who's caught on to whatever Weiss is implying.

"No..."

"Weissss just spit it out!"

"Ugh, fine! It's Penny!"

Blake is just shaking her head now, and both sisters squeal in response to what Weiss has just shared, bouncing down from the bunk they'd been up on. Ilia has met both Winter and Penny, briefly, and she doesn't quite understand _why_ that's the revelation it is. Or why Weiss is so amused by it.

"No way!"

"Uh uh, I refuse to believe that. You're fucking with us."

Blake finally finds her voice, clearly trying to hold back laughter that wants to break free. "How did that happen? Literally, _how_? Like, they could not be more different from each other."

Ruby snorts in response. "I really wish we'd gotten that catch-up with Penny now, I cannot wait to grill her about this."

"Yea, this almost makes our thing boring in comparison." They all give Yang a look for that statement, Ilia included, that just kind of says 'yea right'. Not to be deterred, Yang brings the conversation back a little to focus on the original purpose of Weiss going to speak with her sister. "And you told Winter about all of us? What did she say about that?"

"That... okay, that part surprised her - she suspected me not being straight, but I don't think she had any suspicions about all of us being together, and it did kind of knock her off balance when I told her. She didn't react badly, but I think it might take her a bit to get used to it."

"That's fair. I'm glad it went well though, and that the confession wasn't one-sided."

Weiss beams a smile at them, no doubt fuelled by at least a little relief and some adrenaline fumes still in her system. "Yea, me too. I didn't think she'd react too badly, but it did go better than I expected. I'd be lying if I said I've never had my suspicions about her too, we'd both just been avoiding bringing it up apparently."

"I'm very proud of you two closet cases finally opening up to each other." Ruby laughs as she prods at Weiss, and it successfully gets her a glare in return when everyone else joins in too.

"Very funny. And in the stakes of telling family members about our love lives, I'm one ahead of you, Ruby."

"Hey! That's not true, Yang knows!"

"Yang's literally a part of this, she doesn't count."

"Oh yea? Well--"

Ilia can't see Ruby's reaction, the redhead back up on the bunk she had been with Yang, but she does see Weiss stick a tongue out at Ruby - presumably, there was an equivalent gesture from Ruby beforehand to prompt it. It's an expression that absolutely does not suit her at all, much more in line with one Ruby herself would make and most likely exactly why Weiss did it.

In the wake of team RWBY's hectic barrage of a conversation, Ilia leans forward so she's looking over towards Weiss and Blake, but the question is aimed at anyone who wishes to answer.

"Okay, so I have questions. Who exactly is Penny? Is she a friend of yours?"

It's Weiss that speaks, a mirthful smile on her face as she does. "Yea, I suppose so. We met her back at Beacon, she's a little bit weird - for obvious reasons - but she's sweet... Oh! You actually probably don't know... Um, Penny's not exactly _human_. She's an android, a sentient one with her own aura and everything."

"That's not really public info though, so don't go telling people." Blake chimes in, chuckling a little when Ilia sends her a look as if to say 'who am I going to tell?'

"Right... Okay, cool I guess. What's so funny about her and Winter, then?"

Another round of laughter breaks out around the room, and Ilia waits amusedly for them to calm back down again.

"Honestly? You'll probably need to just see it for yourself. They are... very different from each other."

"Seriously though, _how_ does that work?"

"I'm still convinced Weiss is pulling a prank on us."

"Weiss' pranks aren't this good."

"Hey! I resent that."

They're all being so ridiculous, and Ilia can't help laughing a little at them for it - it's nice getting to see them all happy, and she's not above taking a bit of pride in the fact she's probably had at least something to do with helping them get there.

Weiss is still standing in the middle of the room as she has been the whole time, and she turns her - breathtakingly gorgeous - smile in Ilia's direction, and _fuck_ if it isn't enough to make her heart skip a beat.

_Can't believe I'm here simping for a Schnee... Oh Ilia, what would Sienna have said?_

Her gay panic is cut short - or extended, who can really say? - as Weiss floats over to sit herself by Ilia's side on the bed, voice quiet and full of so much caring that Ilia isn't even sure she really deserves.

"How are you feeling now? Any better?"

There's more than enough space on the bed for two small gays like them, but Weiss has chosen to sit down right next to her, allowing their legs to be touching and after the thoughts Ilia had just been having, it's very difficult not to notice - difficult, and distracting.

_I swear, they're trying to give me an aneurysm or something..._

She powers through, though. "Yea, a little. You're all helping keep me distracted."

Weiss smiles again, looking up at Ilia from under her lashes once more, and she's really going to need to stop doing that for Ilia's sake. Surely she must know just how pretty she is when she does? The look brings with it a sense of déjà vu - it's very similar to the look Weiss had sent her way in the diner, not long after her little... _dalliance_ with Blake in the bathroom.

_I wonder if that's how looks when she's-- No, stop it! She's being nice to you, and this is what you're thinking about. Not cool._

"Good, I'm glad. Do you... want to talk about it? It might make you feel a bit better, a problem shared is a problem halved and all - or, quartered in our case, I suppose. We won't push you to if you'd rather not, though."

Weiss had been talking quietly, her words aimed directly towards Ilia, but at her last statement Blake appears and seats herself on Ilia's other side on the bed - having obviously been eavesdropping. And once again, she's in the middle of two team RWBY members

She's _still_ not complaining.

"Technically, it's a problem shared amongst five, not four as implied by 'quartered'."

"Yes I'm aware, thank you." Weiss rolls her eyes at Blake, leaning slightly forward around Ilia to ensure Blake sees her do so. "But I dont think there's an equivalent word for that."

"Hmm... 'quinsected'?"

"I've never heard it. And considering I'm pretty sure you're just trying to goad me now, I'm not going to believe you if you say you have."

Blake laughs, about to quip something else back at Weiss while Ilia does her best impression of a spectator at a tennis match, focus flipping between both girls on either side of her. Whatever Blake had been about to say - _absolutely_ with the intent to pester Weiss, judging from the smug grin she's sporting - it gets cut off by Ruby bursting into existence next to Weiss on the mattress and offering her contribution, rose petals scattering in her wake.

"What about 'fifthed'?"

"Wrong context."

"What about 'shut up about this already', you dorks? I feel like I'm like back in Oobleck's class again." With a thump, Yang drops down from the bunk she'd been on and moves to sit herself by Blake's side - the last missing member left to join them on Ilia's bed.

None of them are particularly big, excluding perhaps Yang, but even at that fitting five on the one bed is a squeeze and presses them all shoulder-to-shoulder as they lean back against the wall. The realisation that it's becoming an increasingly common thing for her to find herself in the middle of team RWBY is far from unpleasant, and she has to force away any further thoughts about _that_ before she does something to embarrass herself again. As close as they all are, she takes a particular amount of pride at seeing the braids in their hair, a hand idly reaching up to fiddle with her own one.

Ruby cuddles into Weiss, wrapping her arms around the one closest to her and they snuggle into each other. On Ilia's right, Yang loops an arm over Blake's shoulders, angling them better to be able to see Ilia.

In a straight reversal of their conversation in the diner, Yang's voice is the one to address Ilia, a softer tone to it than she's heard up until now. "So, wanna talk about it?"

In between all of their silly bickering, she'd actually forgotten the initial topic that had prompted them to relocate to her bed, a rush of sadness washing over her at the reminder. Truthfully, she doesn't want to talk about it; and, that's probably exactly why she should. They're all watching her, but it's not intimidating. If anything, it's nice - knowing that there are actually people out there who care enough about her to want to listen, and who are willing to let her lean on them.

Exactly like Blake had said they would.

Already she can feel herself starting to get choked up and she's not even started, looking ahead to the far wall and trying to steady herself.

_They barely even know me... I don't deserve all of this._

She hasn't long started talking when the first tear falls, running hot and unwelcome down her cheek as she recounts the life of her younger self, a hand raising to wipe it away - and being beat to the task. Ilia hadn't even noticed her moving, Ruby apparently a lot more capable of being stealthy than she would have thought, but the rose petals give her away as a tissue is pressed to Ilia's cheek.

Ruby allows her to take the tissue to hold onto if she needs it again, but her hand drops itself to take ahold of one of Ilia's, where it remains the entire time she's talking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They end up taking turns sharing trauma, and _fuck_ if they aren't a tragic group. Ilia knows why they're doing it - so she's not left feeling so vulnerable, and she really hopes she can one day let them know how much she appreciates it. She learns more about Ruby and Yang's family, with not just one but two disappeared moms; for very different reasons, but both of them just as sad. Blake shares more about her experience with Adam, and... knowing that she'd been present through most of it and hadn't even realised how bad it was drops a weight in her stomach, that persists long after the conversation.

"I was always just... a _trophy_ for him. He never really hurt me, which I'm assuming was mostly because he couldn't risk looking bad like that or anything getting back to my parents. But he would... I didn't even realise it until way after I'd finally left, but it was almost like clockwork. When he needed me for something he'd be so sweet and charming, and then as soon as it was over he'd tear me down again... Just over and over again, to trap me there with him."

A twenty one year-old guy who was willing to date and, as she's only just found out, apparently even sleep with a fifteen year-old has always just rubbed Ilia the wrong way. But, she'd at least thought Blake truly wanted to be with him; that's how it had seemed looking in from the outside.

It doesn't make it any less painful seeing how Blake still shrinks into herself even talking about him, though.

_Fucker is lucky he's dead._

For every bit as sad as the rest of their stories have managed to be, it's surprisingly Weiss' that manages to take first place. There wasn't any one true traumatic experience in her life; no, it's more like every good memory she has ever had has been overshadowed by something horrifying or depressing. It's a miracle she survived that household, and without Winter and Klein...

Who knows what would have happened to her.

It doesn't bear thinking about, and it's not made any better by the fact that Weiss doesn't actually seem to fully realise the extent to which she's been abused, laughing about some of the stories as if they're normal. As an adult, she's already tiny - thinking about her as an even tinier kid dealing with all of that is just criminal, and so needlessly cruel.

She actually startles a little in surprise when Ruby grabs onto her and pulls her in for a hug, and it prompts the rest of them to join in, spoiling her with the love she never had before.

By the time they all finally separate, and realise how late it has gotten, there's been more than just a couple tears shed. But, exactly like Weiss had said, it has made her feel better to be able to share with her team, and to get to know them better in return.

_Wait, 'my team'? I'm not..._

Right as she was about to correct that thought in her head, reliable little team RWBY tug at the metaphorical rug under her once again and leave her scrambling to stay on her feet - well, if she wasn't already sitting down, that is. Which, she's very glad she is when, just as they move to get up from her bed, Blake and Weiss lean back in and simultaneously press a kiss each to her cheeks, before wishing her goodnight - almost as if it was planned, though that's probably just her being suspicious.

And wow, if she ain't so glad it's dark in here now because she's not even sure what colour she just turned.

Yang and Blake move to the bunks at the other side of the dorm, Ruby disappearing up into the one above Ilia after requesting to sleep in with Weiss tonight; probably wanting to be close to Weiss after everything she shared tonight. Ilia could hardly blame her.

Weiss flicks on a light to get changed into the Atlas-issued pyjamas they'd all been given, having still been in her clothes after coming back from her talk with Winter earlier and Ilia does the respectful thing and tries to keep her eyes away from Weiss' direction while she changes.

An effort that had been much easier to do earlier when the rest of them had been changing, thanks to the fact she was more preoccupied with her own business. Now, with only one of them changing and not much else happening, it is proving significantly harder.

_Significantly_ harder.

Eventually the rustling stops and, thinking it to mean Weiss has finished getting dressed, Ilia allows herself to glance over her way...

Only for Weiss to _not_ be done changing, not at all - standing topless and looking directly at Ilia, making eye contact when Ilia's eyes roam their way up to her face after a few long seconds of staring. It's such a - pleasant - surprise that she doesn't even get the _chance_ to flush. A wink is all the reaction Weiss gives in response to having caught her peeking - though, truthfully, as far as Ilia's concerned this definitely feels something closer to entrapment - before she tugs her shirt over her head and flicks the light back off.

_Did she... want me to look?_

Ilia sees and feels Weiss step on the side of her bed to jump up to the bunk Ruby is on, the other girl deliberately pausing there before she does so, voice low as she speaks in the dark in a way that absolutely feels targeted.

_"Goodnight, Ilia."_

"G-- Goodnight." Normally, she'd be mortified at stuttering so obviously under such circumstances, but it's honestly beyond her control right now.

A lot of things are feeling beyond her control at this point, actually; she's very much the leaves blowing in the wind being tossed her way by the members of team RWBY. First Ruby, then Weiss - with a little bit of Blake added in there in the middle, what with those looks and kissing her on the cheek.

_They're gonna kill me at this rate. And I don't even think I'd mind._

If only she knew, that she was indeed in trouble just like she had predicted earlier that day... except, it's a very different kind of trouble. Ilia has had targets on her back before.

Never quite one like this, though.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_"It's not like she hasn't already pretty much became part of the group, it's not a huge jump to this."_

_"That's true... Okay, yea, I'm in."_

_"Really? Aww, this is so exciting!"_

_"So, how do you we go about bringing it up?"_

_"I'm not too sure... Bringing it up in conversation would potentially really be putting her on the spot."_

_"Hmm. Why don't we just start being more open with her and see how it goes?"_

_"What, like flirt with her?"_

_"Yea. Flirt with her, play with her a little, just see what happens."_

_"Sounds like fun!"_

_"Okay, let's do it."_

_"Then, let the game begin."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes for this chapter:  
> Will be diving into Ilia's backstory a bit now that we're back in her home kingdom, I'm assuming she was relatively young when she ran away and joined the White Fang as she appears in the Adam character short set years before the show as already a member, working under Ghira. So that would put her at having joined the White Fang at least I'd say about 6 years ago when she was probably about 12, if not maybe a bit younger.
> 
> Poor Ilia is having a hard time adjusting to being back home, but fortunately for her she's spent the last few days helping to pick up the pieces of team RWBY and they're not about to go forgetting that now when it's her turn. 😌
> 
> Also, Ilia when Ruby starting flirting with her:  
> https://www.pinterest.com/pin/722053752739987901/
> 
> And if people can ship Winter with Yang, Qrow, and Robyn, who she's not really had much or any interaction with, then WHY can't I ship her with Penny?? ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ They'd be adorable together, admit it you all know they would be. 
> 
> Before anyone quips anything about me referring to Yang as big compared to the others, she most likely would be once everyone has their shoes off:  
> Ruby is probably about 5'1", maybe 5'2" if she's gotten any taller over the series, Weiss I think would be lucky to hit 5'0" without her heels, and the same for Blake without hers - maybe 5'4"? I think Ilia is about 5'4" too, going off her height next to Blake. Yang at 5'8" would be a fair bit bigger than all of them, and - in my mind - probably more built than the rest of them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I'm having to write a few chapters ahead now for this story in order to keep track of what scenes go where ^^' but I'm relatively confident I'm done changing this chapter so enjoy!
> 
> Goofy chapter with not a lot happening, but it's still fun. :p
> 
> Find me on tumblr @shallitickleyournerdbutton

Ilia's awoken by noise coming from the bunk above her the next morning, attempting to roll over and fall back asleep before one of her roommates decide to get up and make their day begin. Except, the noises don't seem to be stopping and she snaps awake at the realisation of what she's overhearing...

Rustling fabric and slick, wet sounds; and what she's almost certain is Ruby trying - and failing - to be quiet.

_"...we don't mind you being here."_

It's only now that Ilia has truly caught up to what Ruby had meant yesterday, the reality of the words and the movements above her snapping together to paint a _very_ vivid picture.

"Mmm... Weiss..."

"Shhh..."

A picture that's growing more and more clear with each passing second, leaving her without much choice other than to be a silent spectator to the indulgence going on in the bed above her. The scene she'd walked on in back at the farm plants itself at the front of her mind, adding visual accompaniment as the wet noises above her get faster, and Ruby begins to grow louder.

She comes with a muffled little yelp, and with it an image of what she might look like as Ilia's mind is free to wander and imagine - Weiss on top of her, a hand over her mouth and holding her down perhaps?

Blake's voice comes barely a second after Ruby does, tinged in amusement; and from what sounds like the direction of Yang's bunk, though Ilia can't quite say for sure from where she is laying. "If that was the two of you trying to be quiet, you failed."

Weiss and Ruby just decend into giggles, the other two members of the team joining a second later and leaving Ilia to continue on her path to having a stroke. Or a heart attack. Hell, probably both.

_Definitely_ both.

The fact that Ruby then decides to jump down from the bunk in nothing but her underwear is not helping, Ilia getting a view of her toned back and rear as she moves to get a towel from the closet and wrapping it around herself.

_Maybe I should get myself a heavier weapon, if it would make my back look like that..._

"I'm gonna go shower. Weiss, you wanna join me~?"

"Only if you're willing to get back into bed and go later." Weiss' voice is rough with sleep, and Ilia can already picture her burrowing back into the covers in protest of getting up. Ruby just laughs, shaking her head and allowing her eyes to drift towards Ilia, where she hesitates for a moment.

_Is she going to ask me? Ask me! I'll say yes!_

But she doesn't in the end, turning her gaze up - that's right, _up_ , proving Ilia right about Blake's suspected relocation during the night - to Yang's bunk.

"What about you, Blake?"

"Hmm. Sure."

Yang's voice follows Blake's agreement immediately, obviously joking and yet still sounding more than a little offended. "Ruby, how dare you steal a girl right out of my bed."

"Not _my_ fault I'm the better choice."

Blake drops down next to Ruby, moving quietly to grab her own towel from the same cupboard Ruby got hers, and chuckling at the two bickering over her as she leans down to press a kiss to Ruby's lips. The kiss lingers, long enough to make Ilia feel a little jealous - but of exactly who, she's not even entirely sure anymore. When Blake speaks, she does sound rather smug about it. "You're both lucky, no need to fight about it."

"I know, but _still_. What an insult."

"There's nothing stopping you coming with us, you know."

"...I don't wanna get out of bed."

Ruby grins up at Yang, looping an arm around Blake's waist and sounding so, _so_ menacing as she directs them both towards the door. "Then lay in it, and watch me steal your girl."

Yang just huffs, chucking a pillow at the door a second too late to hit them before Ruby and Blake disappear past it, both of them laughing.

"Rude."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ilia proceeds to spend the next hour laying in bed and reliving her wake-up call that morning, listening to Weiss snoring away innocently in the bunk above her like nothing had happened. And, she supposes, to all of them nothing _has_ happened, which doesn't actually reduce the heat she's feeling from playing voyeur.

_Does it even really count as being a voyeur if they know you're there?_

Eventually, Yang jumps down from her bunk with another loud thump - stealth _really_ isn't her strength at all, just like Blake had said - glancing over Ilia's way with sleepy eyes and looking absolutely too cute for a girl a decent amount larger and more dangerous then Ilia herself.

"Those two still not back yet?"

Shaking her head in answer, Ilia watches as Yang leans forward to flick her hair over her head and then straightening back up, fussing with it in the mirror and looking like something out of a damn shampoo commercial.

_Really, Yang? Do you have to look like a fucking model right now? I'm already having a hard enough morning as is._

"Guess we should go check on them, I don't trust those two when they're left alone together."

And Ilia so very badly wants to ask for clarification on as to exactly _why_ Yang doesn't trust them together - if she had to guess, it's probably something to do with not wanting Ruby left alone with Blake, and her not-particularly-well-hidden perversions. Ilia has picked up enough of Blake's smutty novels to know more than she actually wants to. But, it's really not something that's gonna help Ilia and her situation right now, so she doesn't ask.

Yang bounces up onto the side of Ilia's bed the same way Weiss had last night, leaning up to shake the other girl who grumbles at her for it.

"Weiss, time to get up. Or you're not going to have enough time to shower."

"Don't care. Leave me."

"Nope. You have five minutes to be up, or I'm dragging you out of there."

"Mhmm..."

"I don't think she's listening to you, dude."

Yang looks down at Ilia, rolling her eyes at her grumpy girlfriend's refusal to get up, and promoting a laugh from Ilia in response. Yang looks back up at Weiss, and Ilia can actually see the lightbulb go off next to her head.

"Fine, then I'll send Nora to come get you."

Weiss lets out a whine that's high-pitched enough Blake would probably have yelped if she were here, and it makes Ilia wonder how many times Weiss has been woken by Nora to cause that reaction. She can only imagine.

"Okay, jeez. I'll get up."

Yang grins and reaches a hand back in towards Weiss, presumably ruffling her hair going by the motion Ilia can see from her place on the lower bunk. The reaction is immediate, Weiss snapping at Yang and causing her to bounce down and away from her, giggling at getting such an irritated response.

"Five minutes, Weiss."

Yang drops back down to sit on the edge of Ilia's bed while waiting on Weiss rolling out of hers, grinning down at her and far too perky for the time it is. "Ready for your first day of work?"

"Of being an Atlas servant? _Can't wait._ "

Yang chuckles at the snarky answer, reaching over to tap a patronising hand against Ilia's cheek. It would be annoying, if she wasn't so hot. But she is hot, so Ilia will allow it on those grounds, and those grounds alone.

And hey, never know - it might end up being a gateway touch; Yang being the only one of her team to mostly keep her hands to herself so far.

_Bad thoughts, Ilia._

"It'll be fun. Get to kick some grimm ass, show off a little. Good vibes only."

Yang is still just sitting on the edge of Ilia's bed, grinning down at her and it's hard to not find it at least a little infectious, a smile breaking out on Ilia's face in response.

"Good vibes only," she agrees, not bothering to try to fight the excited flutter in her stomach when Yang happily gives one of Ilia's legs under the covers a couple pats.

At that, Weiss' legs appear dangling over the bed above them, and before she's even had a chance to push herself off the top bunk Yang pounces up and grabs ahold of her, tossing Weiss over her shoulder like a sack of flour. She swings a hand up, playfully spanking Weiss lightly on the ass a few times as the smaller girl flails to be let go, and seemingly Yang is just determined to be a pest this morning.

"Yang, drop me now!"

"Took too long, my moody little Weissicle. You know I don't like being kept waiting."

Weiss tries to wriggle her way out of Yang's grip, an effort that they all know is futile - there's absolutely no way little Weiss is going to be able to wrestle away from Yang. Certainly not without her weapon, anyways.

That doesn't mean she isn't going to try, apparently.

Ilia decides now is probably about time for her to finally get out of bed too, dodging around the pair of them making a racket in the centre of the room to grab a towel for herself. Yang is still very much not letting Weiss go, turning to face Ilia - and as a result, facing Weiss _away_ from her - with a knowing grin.

"Go ahead, give her a spank. You know you want to."

And, she absolutely should refuse. It's such a violation of privacy, especially considering Weiss has just squealed in embarrassment at the proposition from Yang, but... Weiss wasn't particularly shy last night when she was teasing Ilia, and really, it's only fair.

So, she does.

It's enough to finally get Weiss to stop trying to kick Yang, freezing for a moment in Yang's arms in surprise, and the blonde grins before literally chucking Weiss in Ilia's direction - who only just about barely manages to steady Weiss on her feet before she trips backwards from the momentum and being manhandled. Yang, being the questionably smart person she is, has already bolted from the room, Weiss tearing off after her without so much as a glance or glare in Ilia's direction for participating.

"Oh no you don't! You get back here, Xiao-Long!"

_They're all batshit. Every single one of them._

Neither Weiss nor Yang had bothered to take a towel with them, and Ilia just shakes her as she grabs a couple extras for them both.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ruby is waiting patiently on one of the benches in the shower room, wrapped in a towel and sitting daydreaming as she stares off at nothing in the distance, her legs crossed at the ankle and swinging slightly under her. Her hair is wet, sticking up at odd angles as if she'd been running her hands though it - that said, it's possible it was someone else's hands, knowing this lot.

_Why is she so cute? I've seen her with that scythe, she shouldn't be allowed to be this cute! She should come with a warning sign or something. Though, she does dress in red... that's usually a warning in movies and stuff for danger..._

Then the memory of Ruby, cocky and a little obnoxiously, leaning intentionally into Ilia's space to fluster her yesterday comes to mind, and reminds her that looks can _absolutely_ be deceiving - and that Ruby isn't the only member of her team with silk hiding steel.

Stuck in her head as she had been, Ilia doesn't realise that she's been just hovering by the door staring at Ruby for a weirdly long time until the other girl calls out her name, smiling even as she raises a brow at her new friend's odd behaviour.

"You okay? Been standing there for a while now."

"Oh! Yea, uh, sorry. I spaced out for a bit." If Ilia didn't have her hands full with towels, she'd no doubt be rubbing at her warm neck, courtesy of being caught.

If Ruby has any suspicions as to what exactly Ilia had been spacing out about, she doesn't make any comment on it. "If you say so. Yang and Weiss are both in the showers now, I barely managed to keep Weiss from strangling Yang when they came bursting in here. Do I want to know what happened?"

Ilia laughs, thinking back to their antics in the room and trying _not_ to think about the fact that Weiss has a very nice ass. Which she's now felt.

"Honestly, it'd be kinda hard to explain. And a bit stupid."

Ruby hums, leaning her head back against the wall behind her with a little grin. "'Stupid and hard to explain'. Definitely sounds like Yang and Weiss to me."

Ilia snorts, a not-entirely attractive sound, which Ruby does notice - looking back over Ilia's way and seeming rather pleased with herself, and her comment that prompted the reaction.

"Blake still not done?" Is what Ilia decides to ask instead, to take the focus off of her and whatever unappealing noises she has just made. Blake has an annoying tendency to take _forever_ to get ready for things when she's permitted the opportunity to do so, and the fact sweet little Ruby is sitting alone does nothing but back up Ilia's belief that Blake is dragging her heels simply because she can.

Ruby rolls her eyes, waving a hand in the direction of one of the stalls with water running inside it. "Yang dragged her back into the shower with her. Something about 'stealing Blake back from my traitor of a sister'."

"How lucky."

Ruby gives her a look, and Ilia panics a little at having actually spoken that aloud. But then Ruby meets the comment with a question, looking pretty amused at what Ilia has just blurted out and not-at-all bothered, turning in Ilia's direction with a sharp grin. The movement lifts one of her legs up to fold on the bench, and the towel with it, forcing Ilia to have to purposefully keep her eyes on Ruby's face.

_Does she even realise that she's like, inches away from flashing me? Then again, Weiss very deliberately did flash me last night. Maybe they're into that, or something._

"Which one? Blake or Yang?"

_And why do I feel like I'm being tested right now? Is this a trick question of some sort?_

But luckily for one little lesbian lizard lady, the diplomatic answer just so happens to be the truthful one in this very specific situation, and she holds a breath once she gives it.

"Both."

"Good answer." Ruby winks at her, and it actually doesn't help Ilia feel any less like she's being tested right now. "You should probably go shower, if you're planning on it."

"Right. Yea, right. I'll... do that."

Wandering over to where Ruby is sitting, Ilia deposits the extra towels she'd brought for Weiss and Yang next to her and heads into one of the stalls, ignoring the fact she can feel Ruby's gaze watching after her as she walks away. Taking a moment to get her shit together, she leans back against the stall door once it's closed behind her.

_Smooth. Real smooth. And you really thought your virgin self would have had the guts to go shower with her this morning. Talk about wishful thinking._

Ilia strips out her pyjamas, hanging everything up on the hooks as she she waits for the water to heat up properly. Once under the spray, she's left alone with her thoughts and there truly are a lot of them - most of them rather pleasing, thankfully. Team RWBY have definitely been doing good work in keeping her distracted, and her attention floats back to all of them.

Whether she wants it to or not, her mind reminds her of how tempting Weiss had looked standing topless the previous night, and with that thought she starts tumbling down the rainbow rabbit hole - Weiss and Blake kissing her cheeks the night before, Yang touching her face and leg that morning and, of course, how Ruby had sounded when she came, all amongst the memories.

The many, _many_ memories that are already starting to build up; she has most certainly gotten her wish about wanting to enjoy being amongst a group of pretty girls, and is starting to realise that she may have just slightly bitten off more than she can chew with this lot.

_This isn't helping. Focus on the shower._

Unfortunately, that turns out to be the exact wrong thing to do, as she attempts to focus on her shower and it draws her attention back to the room she's currently in, hearing Blake giggling from just a few stalls down where she is presumably still 'showering' with Yang. Considering how long Blake has spent in a shower today, it'll be a miracle if she isn't a prune by the time they're all done.

Ilia hears them again and deciding she's been considerate enough - and that she most definitely has not been receiving that same consideration in return - she allows her hands to wander as she imagines what might be happening in that other stall.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_"The designated area is an abandoned dust mine. Since its closure, the grimm have moved in. The good new is that all that untouched dust is still down there..."_

_"This is our target for today."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes for this chapter:  
> I personally headcanon that Blake is the one who takes the longest to get ready - not Weiss or Yang, like people expect - based off of the fact that in "A Night Off" she's the one putting makeup on at one of the desks while the rest of them are just kinda lounging around, potentially waiting on her. I think she'd like taking her time to look pretty after spending years on the move while in the WF.
> 
> I have also now subscribed to the "sleepy Weiss" headcanon too because it's cute.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have gone ahead and wrote a little companion piece to this story, focused on Winter and Penny and giving a bit of backstory there. It's pretty cute, you guys should go give it a read if you like that pairing. ^.^  
> Fic: [Tangled Strings, Broken Parts & Inanimate Hearts](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29385468)
> 
> I also managed to accidentally delete almost 10k words of notes and plot points for Rainbow Pollination and I'm honestly absolutely gutted, so yea. Those next chapters might take a bit longer than I thought, so here's a peace offering to make up for it while I try and remember where I was going with this fic. -.-
> 
> So, here we are - a slightly painful chapter, to go with my slightly pained heart. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Ilia watches everyone as they try on their new gear before their first mission, testing out some of the new features and there's even the odd style change. As for Ilia herself, she had refused to hand over her weapon for upgrades when offered and requested it back immediately. The fact this Atlas lot had miraculously actually seemed to respect her stance was a surprise, and someone probably recognised the refusal for what it was - being not so willing to trust them all with her or her things.

_Thanks, but no thanks._

If she had noticed Blake shaking her head at her for being so rude, it was promptly overlooked; she had no qualms about ignoring the chastising under these circumstances, and Blake hadn't bothered to say anything about it to her. Probably realising there's other, more important hills to die on than this one. That said, it's been a while since she's been tossed out of an airship and maybe she should have let them meddle with her weapon.

Ah, well. Too late now.

There's plenty of infrastructure around for her to latch onto, Lightning Lash easily wrapping around an overhanging pipe to help her come to a safe landing. And.... she might have deliberately applied a bit more speed as she swung down to the ground than was entirely necessary, aiming directly for the members of team RWBY and allowing herself to skid to a stop right in front of them all - spraying them with snow thanks to her boots sliding across the ground.

"Ugh! Dude!"

"Not cool!"

And what do you know, they're all even _hotter_ when they're pissed. That alone would have made it worth it, but then Ruby starts giggling at the rest of her team's grumpy faces and that just makes it better.

"What an _ice_ day we're having so far."

Blake and Yang laugh at the pun, while Weiss just rolls her eyes at her girlfriend for it. "Hush, Ruby."

"Come on now, no need to bite her sled off." Yang has joined the game, hands on her hips as she grins down at Weiss who scowls at her, pointing an accusing finger up at Yang's chin.

"Don't you start too. And I'm still not talking to you for earlier."

"Wow, that's a little below the melt, Weiss."

_"Ugh."_

Weiss doesn't even complain at Blake for joining in, realising she's most certainly outnumbered and walking away, heading towards the mine and leaving them all standing there giggling at her back. She's not _quite_ out of earshot yet, when Ilia comes up with a pun of her own and speaks loudly enough for Weiss to hear it.

"Seems we've reached the point of snow return, guys."

They crack as one, laughing to the point of tears when Weiss just flips them off over her shoulder and keeps walking.

"Man, I did not sign up to be stuck babysitting..."

"We all babysit you, Marrow."

"Hmph!"

Harriet and Marrow follow after Weiss, an unspoken command of "move it" to the teens still hovering around in a cluster by the entrance, and Ruby breaks off to start heading in that direction too. She has her 'team leader' face on now, and they should all probably follow her lead.

It's hard to focus though, and Blake does look cute with her new haircut; cute enough that Ilia allows herself to admire her for a moment while the other faunus is still giggling away behind a hand. One thing stands out - the braid is gone now, probably coming loose when she cut it. A wave of loss settles in Ilia's chest at noticing it missing, even knowing she's being stupid.

_I'm definitely going to make a joke about her having the Bisexual Haircut at some point, though. It's my duty as her friend to rib her for that._

Yang is still standing by Ilia's side, and it's only when Blake glances over to the two of them that Ilia realises they had both just been staring at Blake like a pair of weirdos.

Blake's ears droop, and a shy hand lifts up to tug at the ends of her hair thanks to the attention on her. "Is it the hair? Does it look bad?"

"No! Uh no, that's not it..."

"Sorry! You looked cute, that's all. Didn't mean to stare."

Ilia hesitates, not quite sure whether it's appropriate for her to agree with Yang, but decides to anyways since Blake is still looking a little nervous. "You do look very cute. I like the hair, it suits you."

The assurances seem to work, as Blake's hand drops away from her face and she perks up noticeably. "Really? I was a bit worried it might make me look... masculine?"

_Ah, so that's why she's worrying about it so much. Aww, Blake..._

"Not at all, you look very pretty."

Yang moves in to wrap Blake up in a bearhug, lifting her a little and forcing a laugh out of the girl in her arms. "Stop being silly, you look gorgeous. You always do."

Blake beams up at Yang once she's back on her feet, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's neck and pulling her down into a kiss. And that's kinda Ilia's cue to leave, turning to head into the mine and leaving the other two to it.

"Wait! Ilia!"

Turning around, Ilia stops as Blake jogs the few metres towards her, the other girl drawing to a stop right in front of her. Without any warning, she leans in to place another kiss on Ilia's cheek, a shy smile on her face when she pulls away.

"Thank you for reassuring me. It really means a lot."

_And she's just kissed me again, what is it with all this? Try and be cool, dude. Do not blush again._

"No problem. You really don't need to worry about things like that, you know."

"I know... Just, some days it happens anyways."

"I get it. We all have bad days."

Suddenly, two arms are wrapped around their shoulders - Yang's arms, placing her in the centre of Ilia and Blake as she begins moving them all into the mine properly. Heat is practically radiating off of her, sinking through Ilia's clothes where they're touching, but it's actually kind of nice - she does have to force herself not to snuggle into Yang's side like she wants to, though.

"Good vibes only. Any complaints otherwise will be processed in five to seven business days. Or, potentially never."

The callback gets another ugly snort from Ilia, and yet neither girl care much about that at all. A hand brushes against Ilia's hip, Blake having wrapped her own arm around Yang's waist and reaching the extra distance to touch Ilia too - which she copies in return, the three of them falling into step easily.

Marrow and Harriet glance over at them when they get closer, and the girls break apart for the sake of professionalism. Or, what's left of it for them to salvage at this point anyway - Marrow allowing an amused look over the lot of them before turning back to his partner.

Blake and Yang wander off ahead to meet up with the rest of their team, and Ilia takes a moment to scan the area around them. It's about as much as one would expect from an abandoned dust mine, though this one seems a little off; it's almost as if they just up and left right in the middle of working here, and there's debris scattered everywhere. Something instinctive, and deep within her bones, realises it before she does, an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach as she continues looking around her surroundings.

Actually, now that she's paying attention, the wreckage seems to have been blasted in a rough circle around the spot she's standing in, almost like...

Like...

Her legs give out under her, dropping her to knees as she realises exactly which mine this is.

_No..._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey, where's Ilia?"

"She was just behind us when we came in..."

Team RWBY all turn in the direction of the entrance to the mine, Blake being the first to spot Ilia - frozen on her knees, and entirely blue as she stares off at nothing in the distance.

"Shit! Ilia!"

Taking off in Ilia's direction, she skids to a stop right next to where Ilia is kneeling, crouching down to take a hold of her shoulders. There's tears running down her face, and she doesn't respond to Blake talking to her, nor even when she's shaken a few times. The other three appear next to them both, and Ruby kneels down too, worriedly glancing between Blake and Ilia in question.

"Is this..?"

"I think so. I didn't realise it when we first got here, but it must be."

"Oh, Ilia... I'm so sorry. I didn't realise." Ruby tears up, looking up at her team for help, but none of them really seem to know what to do either.

That's when Marrow makes the mistake of calling over to the lot of them, approaching their direction. "Are you kids coming or not? We don't have all day."

Ruby immediately snaps at him, and if it weren't for the fact there aren't any grimm nearby, they'd almost swear her eyes flashed for a second. "Give us a minute!"

He lifts his hands up in front of him, clearly irritated about being shouted at. "Alright, jeez. One minute, and then we're moving without you."

When she turns back, she goes to say something and is cut off by Yang, moving around to Ilia's free side and looking over the rest of them. "You guys go, I'll deal with Ilia."

"But--"

"Look, we can't fuck up our literal first mission, and we _really_ don't want to be the weak links in front of this Atlas bunch. I can manage here."

Any further argument is stopped by her leaning in and hoisting Ilia up in to her arms like she weighs nothing - which, to Yang, she probably doesn't - the girl in question immediately turning into Yang and hiding against her neck.

"If you're sure..?"

"Yea, I'm sure. Go, and I'll see you when you get back."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first thing she notices when she begins to come back down to Remnant is the sound of Yang's soft voice, whispering comforts and nonsense stories against her hair, and pressing the odd kiss there occasionally. This directly leads into her second realisation - she is curled up in Yang's lap, the blonde holding Ilia tight to her as they sit tucked up in a corner of the airship.

_What... Why are we out here? And why am I in Yang's lap?_

"...and Zwei stole the hotdog right out of his hand. Qrow was so mad, he'd been looking forward to the food and then had it grabbed from literally under his nose. I think Ruby managed to snap a picture of his face right after, I'll ask her to show you if she still has it. It'll make you laugh."

_What is she talking about? Where's everyone else?_

"Who's Zwei?"

It took a bit for her to force out the question, feeling like she'd been clubbed upside the head by Magnhild, and Yang freezes up against her in surprise. Pulling away from holding Ilia so close to her, she scans over the girl in her arms with such a concerned look on her face - Ilia can't remember the last time someone was so obviously worried for her.

"He's me and Ruby's dog. Blake isn't much of a fan of him."

Ilia laughs at the image of Blake around a dog - really, what is that all about?

_She's so stupid, sometimes. A cat faunus afraid of dogs... There's definitely a joke in there somewhere._

"How are you feeling?"

"Shit. Why are we out here? Where's everyone else?"

Yang hums, pulling Ilia back in to cuddle against her and really, Ilia should probably be more flustered about her position than she is - instead finding herself not really having the energy to be embarrassed.

"What do you remember last?"

Pausing, she thinks back over the last things she can remember - her and Yang complimenting Blake's hair, the three of them walking into the mine together...

_The mine..._

It all comes rushing back to her, feeling her skin turn blue again and Yang tense up against her as a result. Poor Yang, she's probably assuming the worst right now.

"Hey, hey... Ilia, it's okay. Don't think about it, we're out here and away from there, okay?"

Ilia turns back into Yang's neck, cuddling into her and feeling the other girl pull her in more - if that is even possible at this point. Any tighter, and they're going to start bonding together.

"Just... keep talking to me, please."

Yang nods against her hair, and Ilia feels her press a kiss there once again before she presumably starts back up whatever string of silly stories she'd been telling her earlier.

"Yea, of course. Did you know that Ruby used to run around naked all the time when she was little? Like, that's normal for a lot of kids, I did it too, but she kinda kept it going for a bit longer than most do..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How long they've been sitting out here together is impossible to determine and, truthfully, Ilia isn't even sure she wants to know. Yang had continued telling her all kinds of ridiculous anecdotes about her family and friends - more than a generous amount of them being at poor Ruby's expense - until Ilia had started to actually settle properly, and begin asking questions back. Eventually, they ended up just sitting snuggled against each other quietly.

After a long moment of silence, Ilia can't quite help repeating Yang's catchphrase for the day, tinging it sufficiently with enough snark that they both start laughing.

_"Good vibes only."_

Ilia can actually feel the grin against her hair, as well as Yang shaking her head - the motion shaking Ilia's along with her slightly. "Yea, I think we're gonna have to start over tomorrow."

Sighing into Yang's neck, Ilia speaks quietly and sort of, kind of hopes that Yang won't hear her; though with how much in each other's business they are right now, that's practically an impossibility.

"I'm sorry for letting you all down."

"Hey, look at me." Yang pulls back out the hug, a hand coming to rest against Ilia's chin and gently forcing her attention up to meet Yang's eyes. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, okay? You didn't let anyone down."

"But, I made us look like stupid kids in front of the Ace Ops..."

"We _are_ stupid kids, and ones who care a lot more about you than what any of them are thinking." Yang sighs herself when Ilia glances away, before changing the topic. "I get it, by the way. How you're feeling, I mean."

That manages to get Ilia's attention, the hand still holding her chin moving to stroke a thumb against Ilia's cheek instead. She doesn't have the energy right now not to lean into it, so she simply allows it to happen and Yang smiles at her for it before continuing with what she had been saying. Honestly, just having Yang being this close and affectionate towards her would probably be more than enough to have her feeling better, even without the lov-- _care_ being directed her way.

"I've always had to be there for Ruby, but... Summer was my mom, too. I've lost a parent and you're not alone, I get it. Sometimes there are things that just bring that pain back, and you can't be upset at yourself when it happens. But you're not alone, we're here for you to catch you when you fall... just like you've been there to catch all of us. And at least once literally, from what I've heard."

Briefly, the memory of Ruby's scared face right before she fell from the cliff flashes in Ilia's mind, before she was there to catch her - exactly like Yang said.

"We... care about you a lot, you know."

There's something there, something in Yang's tone Ilia can't quite place, and the thumb stroking against her cheek is still there and Yang's focus drops from Ilia's eyes slightly, lingering on her lips before she looks back up.

_Why does it feel like she's going to kiss me or something?_

_...Is she leaning in?_

_Oh fuck, she is._

_Panic stations!_

_No, be cool!_

_Fuck!_

Just as Ilia leans in to meet Yang in the middle, someone comes clattering onto the airship and she bounces back and away from the gorgeous, blonde temptation who's lap she's still in like she's been burned. Both of them glance over to the opening of the airship to see a worried Ruby quickly making her way towards them.

"Hey, you guys doing okay?"

And Ilia's heart is still pounding a war cry against her ribs, battering them like a xylophone at what almost just happened, so it's Yang that answers.

"Yea, I think so."

Ruby drops to her knees right in front of them both, leaning up to drag Ilia into a hug and it's only as Ilia finally moves to turn away from Yang that she takes notice of the fact she's had one of her arms tight around the back of Yang's neck this whole time - or, more specifically, most definitely touching and pulling on her hair.

The hair that she doesn't like having touched, yet is now unbothered about how Ilia has been borderline grabbing onto it for the last who-even-knows how long.

Ruby squeezes Ilia tight, dragging her focus away from that thought and talking into her shoulder once Ilia returns the hug. "I'm sorry for not realising, Ilia. I'd never have made you come if I had."

"It's not your fault, Ruby. I didn't even realise myself."

Ruby pulls away to say something else, right as Blake and Weiss show up on the airship too - Ruby probably used her semblance to get back quicker, knowing her. The other two come up close to the three of them huddled in the corner but don't come right down into their space; it takes a moment before Ilia understands why, and that it's because they're trying not to overwhelm her.

Ironically enough, _that_ thought is overwhelming on its own merit, and she pulls Ruby back into another hug to hide the tears welling up in her eyes, speaking to the four of them. Even muffled against Ruby's cape as it is.

"Thank you. All of you, for caring about about me so much. I... It really means so much to me, I hope you know that."

Ruby giggles into the hug, squeezing Ilia again and still smelling so nicely like roses. It's very comforting, and Ilia doesn't shy away from tucking a little further into her neck. "Of course we care, silly. You're important to us."

"Yea, we don't exactly spend this much energy on just anyone, you know." Blake smiles down at her, the joking words softened against the gentle expression on her face. Weiss leans against Blake's side, a hand against Blake's hip like had been when Ilia first met her back in the train station - the two of them looking very much like an old married couple as a result - nodding along with what Ruby and Blake have just said.

And she _really_ doesn't deserve all of this, pulling away to send them all a tearful smile in thanks, and receiving plenty of smiles in return.

"Um... I don't mean to interrupt, but Ironwood kinda wants to speak to both of us, Ruby."

Jaune hovers by the opening into the airship, actually startling a little when all of their attentions swivel to him as one. He awkwardly rubs a hand against his neck, tossing a thumb over his shoulder and backing away.

"I'm just gonna... yea."

Watching him literally slide away out of view again is just ridiculous enough to get a few laughs out of them all, Ruby giving a squeeze to one of Ilia's knees before she gets up to go after Jaune. Finally, _finally_ , Ilia gets up off of Yang; and she still doesn't want to know how long she'd been there sitting on her.

When Yang moves to follow the rest of the team back off the airship, she expectantly holds out a hand in Ilia's direction for her to take.

If she wants.

Ilia really, really does want to. So she does, allowing herself to be tugged along by Yang and back out into the cool Solitas air. She's going to be just fine.

She's not alone, anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes for this chapter:  
> If you try telling me that the mine that had Blake say, "I just realized where we are. This mine was closed after an explosion." isn't the same motherfucking mine that killed Ilia's parents then I think we've been watching a different show - what the fuck other reason would she have to recognise it T.T Ilia didn't realise because Ironwood only briefed Ruby and Jaune in the show, and I doubt Ilia would have 100% known where they were until she pieced it together. 
> 
> I loved getting to write Yang being the big sister she is, and having her looking after Ilia. She's such a sweetheart and so many people just focus on her being a joker T.T That's not all she is!
> 
> As always, kudos and comments keep me fed! ;p


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another kinda feels-heavy chapter that I have smashed out a lot faster than I thought I would ^^' I'm trying to keep my momentum for writing because if I stop right now, I know I'll struggle to pick it back up again. 
> 
> That said, this one has not been proofread and might be subject to changes when I read over it again. Some more Yang and Ruby, to balance out the Weiss and Blake action from the last few chapters :)
> 
> Until then, enjoy the abridged chapter!

Ironwood is busy talking with some officers when they all make their way towards them, leaving the teens standing waiting next to the Ace Ops as they hang around for him to be finished. Ilia just catches wind of Nora saying something about "thunder thighs" to the big soldier lady as they come close enough into earshot, perking up her curiosity a fair amount as to what exactly is going on in that conversation.

_I really need to start paying more attention to names._

_Actually nah, fuck it. Bunch of bootlickers. I'll learn theirs when they bother to learn mine. I learned Marrow and Harriet's, that's enough for now._

Ruby breaks away from them, bouncing over towards the Ace Ops and squeeing up at them all as she does. Ilia already knows the starry-eyed look they're being given without having to see it for herself, it being one of Ruby's trademarks and having herself been on the receiving end more than once.

"Aww, you guys were so cool in there! How you knew exactly what to do without even needing to talk to each other... I want to be able to protect my friends just like that one day!"

Harriet turns an amused, and condescending, look towards Ruby at the praise. "Friends? From what Marrow has told me, you're all a little more than 'friends'."

The tone in her voice immediately has Ilia bristling from her spot next to Yang, who is still diligently holding her hand and making absolutely no moves to stop doing do - their continued contact probably being one of the reasons for Ilia noticing Yang tense the same as she had, picking up on the snide tint to Harriet's words. It draws everyone's attention to her and Ruby, and not in a good way.

How can anyone be that callous in the face of all the cuteness that is Ruby Rose?

Tugging them both firmly towards Ruby, Yang draws to a stop by sister's side and raises a brow in the bootlicker's direction as Ruby deflates slightly at the response she'd received; not _quite_ saying "do that again and try me" but it can be inferred.

Harriet straightens up at the challenge being directed at her, prompting Marrow to slot himself into the middle of whatever is about to kick off between the two women, an arm pressing Harriet back and giving her a look of his own in reprimand for the snide comment.

As he should, for being the one to out them all to this lot.

_You should know better than go sniffing around things that don't concern you, Waggles. Hold your fucking tongue next time._

"Harriet, please."

Harriet continues to dismiss Marrow for a long moment, before she rolls her eyes and backs down. When Marrow doesn't move his arm after a moment, she shoves it off and begins to walk away from this whole interaction as Marrow sadly follows after her, Harriet stopping and turning to look back at Yang and Ruby over her shoulder from a few paces away.

"We work together, and that's it. We get the job done, because that's what's important. You might want to reconsider being so involved. It'll only hurt you more in the end."

That doesn't lift Ruby's spirits anymore than the first comment had, and she stares down at her boots looking very much like Harriet had punted Zwei right in front of her. Yang slots herself closer to Ruby when the other woman finally fucks off away from them and takes her attitude with her, wrapping her arms around her sister and pulling her in for a hug - she's still not let go of Ilia's hand and it's a little awkward, but this hug in particular is one that she doesn't feel right joining in.

So she doesn't, hovering next to them both and rubbing her free hand over Ruby's back when she cuddles into Yang.

"Don't listen to her, Rubes - there's nothing wrong with what we're doing. If they want to shut themselves off, that's up to them. We couldn't not love you even if we wanted to."

Blake and Weiss come wandering over, glancing between Ilia and the two sisters with expressions a mix of worry at Ruby being so upset, and anger at Harriet for making her feel like that. Notably, they _also_ don't encroach on the two hugging, and Ilia can't help but feel like there's a question there.

Ruby sighs against Yang's neck, apparently not wanting to move from the embrace yet. "I love you all so much. I couldn't imagine not loving you. I don't understand how they can be so... heartless towards each other."

"I don't get the vibe that Atlas much approves of any interpersonal conduct." Everyone glances towards Blake at the comment, even Ruby turning a little towards her, and she flushes at suddenly finding herself the centre of attention. "But I suppose it's a good thing none of _us_ have to contend with that."

Then she smiles, moving in to press the cutest little kiss against Ruby's nose where it's just barely peeking out from her place under Yang's chin and getting a little squeak from her in response.

"Not that we'd be able to help ourselves, even if that weren't true."

Weiss steps in closer too after this, leaning in to catch Ruby's eyes and looking far softer than Ilia has seen from her so far. "Like Yang said, we couldn't not love you even if we wanted to. That's never going to change."

Ruby tucks herself back into Yang, a little shudder and some sniffles from her marking her reaction to the loving words. And that's when the distance between them that Weiss and Blake had kept until now is finally released into the biting wind, wrapping Ruby in the middle of her girls and reminding her that she's loved.

Ilia is promptly tugged into the hug from her space hovering nearby by the hand Yang is still holding, barely a second later. Exactly as Ilia was hoping she would.

She's never been hugged so much in her life, before meeting all of these _dolts._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ironwood has only just about finished his briefing with the team leaders, when the sound of an airship approaching catches all their attentions; Weiss immediately flinching at the sight of it flying towards the landing zone and tensing up.

"More Mantle problems?"

"No. This one's an Atlas problem."

Restraining the urge to flash with anger at the sight of who comes strolling off of it is perhaps one of the hardest things Ilia has ever had to do - Jacques Schnee's smug face one of the ones at the top of her list of faces she'd very much like to cave in. Even without the colour change, her reaction must have been obvious as Yang takes hold of her hand once again and gently tugs her back into her side; obviously with intentions of keeping her there, for now. Maybe to keep her from doing anything stupid; Ilia can hardly blame her after the other reactions she's had so far since arriving back on her home turf.

Absently, Ilia notices Blake doing the same for Weiss a couple steps ahead of them both as Jacques pompously attempts to berate Ironwood for commandeering his property and is immediately shut down. When his attention drifts from Ironwood to Weiss standing watching all of this, his gaze immediately lands on Weiss and Blake's joined hands, sneering with contempt at the sight.

"So these are the little friends you gave up everything for?"

"Not friends. _Family._ "

Ilia can't help being proud of the fact that Weiss at no point backs down. Not when he tries to scold her. Not when he tries to scare her.

Not even when he tries to guilt her.

"I know exactly the kind of man you are."

_And we all do too now, Jacques. You're not getting anywhere near her, ever again._

Only a few days ago, Ilia had been surprised by the possessive and protective feelings that team RWBY kept pulling out of her, and tried to push them away. Told herself she had no right to them. But now?

It definitely feels like something is changing, and not just in Ilia herself - being very much a part of the "family" standing by Weiss' side, as she faces down her old one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weiss heaves a sigh when her father finally struts off, waiting for his ship to take to the air before spinning around to tuck herself into Blake's arms, the taller girl simply pressing a kiss to her forehead and holding her close.

"Thank you, for staying by my side there Blake."

"Of course."

Not quite wanting to intrude on the moment, the rest of them move so they're all huddled a little more closely around the two embracing. Ruby grants them all of about thirty seconds before moving to squeeze herself into the hug, and it's with no shortage of surprise to Ilia that Yang stays put by her own side instead, keeping ahold of Ilia's hand in one of her own warm ones. Just like Yang herself, her hand is both large and pleasant to hold onto and Ilia is reluctant to release it if she doesn't have to.

It may very well be the only thing keeping her grounded at the moment, after the whiplash that has been this shitty day so far.

A military vehicle rattles along the tarmac towards them, the door sliding open as it comes to a halt a few metres from their group - revealing a rather shifty-looking Winter, who allows her eyes to roam over the girls in front of her before instead focusing on scanning the area around them. She hops down out of the truck and heads towards them all, still not looking at them properly and without an actual greeting; to the point that Weiss breaks away from Blake and Ruby, a semi-amused expression on her face as she appraises Winter and her lackluster manners.

Ilia catches the barest wisp of a smirk lifting the corner of Weiss' mouth, before she addresses her sister. "How nice to _Schnee_ you again, Winter. You just missed father."

A split-second of shock passes between them all at Weiss finally joining in with the joking from earlier, and the perfect moment she had chosen to do so, before they erupt into welcome laughter. Weiss stands at the front of the group, hands on her hips and looking rather pleased with herself for getting such a reaction out of her team and making no effort to hide it.

Winter simply allows her gaze to drift to Weiss with a perfect and raised eyebrow, affecting her usual rigid pose and standing tall as she looks down at her sister. All of them, even Weiss, expect some form of scolding from her at the silliness. Yet, without even missing a beat, she responds with the same cool inflection as she has maintained every time Ilia has heard her speak.

"I wouldn't say I 'missed him'. Poke pun at me again, and you'll be on _thin ice_."

If Weiss playing along was funny, _Winter_ , of all people, doing it back absolutely _destroys_ them - Ruby and Yang actually double over with laughter, and Ilia has to reach out a hand to grab onto Blake's shoulder to stop herself from doing the same. It's only made funnier by the fact Winter doesn't even crack a smile, entirely poised and stoic as she peers down smugly at Weiss, clearly goading her somewhat; even demure as it is.

It still works, Weiss holding an affronted hand to her chest as she gapes up at Winter in open betrayal. "You know it ruins my fun when you play along with things."

Winter just resumes her scanning of the area, smirking a little as she does. "Oh, I know."

_Well, well. Seems I might have been wrong about Winter lacking a sense of humour. It's just even more crooked than Weiss' is, apparently._

At seeing Winter immediately go back to ignoring them all, Weiss questions her on it, hand still against her chest as she does. "What are you looking around fo--"

_**BOOM!** _

Weiss doesn't even get to finish her question before finding the answer; or, more accurately, it found them - Penny slamming down right between the two sisters and sending everyone scrambling back in fright. At least a few of their team actually land on their backsides as a result, and even Winter is more than a little startled. She, at least, manages to stay on her feet, unlike the rest of them.

A perfect and ridiculous ending, to a ridiculous interaction.

"Surprise!" Penny cheers from her spot in the centre of the group, clearly lost in her own little world before taking in the devastation around her and having the decency to look chagrined once she does.

Ilia pointedly ignores the sounds of team JNR all laughing at their expense from somewhere in the near distance, having obviously just been witness to all of this. Moving back onto her feet, she leans down to offer a hand to a grumbling Weiss in assistance; noticing as she does so that Blake was the only one of their team not to go sprawling onto her arse when the rest of them did.

_What's that saying about cats landing on their feet again?_

Ilia laughs to herself at the thought, glancing away from Blake when she sends a questioning look her way for it and looking back to the newcomer in their group.

Penny turns to gaze over at Winter, giggling behind a hand when she receives a scolding head shake in return for her... _entrance_ into the conversation. Winter's eyes drop to land on the crater under Penny where she crash-landed, a hand lifting to pinch at her nose as she exhales a breath that's both amused and very much not. How she manages to do that, Ilia doesn't know.

"Penny... How many times do we have to have that conversation about your landings?"

Completely unbothered by the scolding, Penny continues giggling at her girlfriend's obvious exasperation before a hand snaps into a salute that seems at least a _little_ mocking.

"At least once more, ma'am!"

"You nearly hit us..."

Yang leans into Ilia's ear to whisper while Penny and Winter continue semi-bickering with one another, amusement tainting her words so ominously that Ilia has to actually bite her lip not to laugh and draw Winter's attention their way.

" _'Ma'am'_ , huh? Kinky."

Ruby, having overhead her sister's joke, also gives a little smirk as she glances over towards the two of them huddled together, a shake of her head herself in response even though she clearly found it funny too. Yang just winks over at Ruby for it, their attentions drifting back to Penny when she asks something that catches their interest.

"So we haven't started yet?"

Winter, now tapping away at something on her scroll while Penny peers over her shoulder at what she's doing, flicks her eyes up to meet Penny's with a little smile. "Not yet. You're just in time."

The sight of Winter smiling - not smirking, but actually _smiling_ \- is a tiny bit unsettling, though it's definitely softened by the fact it brings out a huge grin from Penny in response. Watching the little smile morph into embarrassment a moment later is even more unsettling, Winter being dragged bodily by an eager Penny towards one of the airships nearby.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Wait, Penny! I'm not done--"

Even Ironwood can't help a little chuckle at Winter's complaints in reaction to being dragged along so unwillingly, following after the two of them with a twinkle in his eye.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ilia stands at the end of the line by Ruby's side, watching as Penny ceremoniously struts down in front of each of them, tapping a finger to the datapad in her hand and marking off each tap with a cute little "mhmm!"

"Wait, what's this?"

"You are being granted your huntsmen licenses, today."

Ruby stares down in awe at the license on her scroll, and Ilia leans in to peek over her shoulder at it when she speaks. "I-- We're honoured, General Ironwood."

Ilia had been expecting Penny to wander back over to stand by Ironwood and Winter after giving Ruby her license, unable to keep the confusion from her face when instead she continues the last couple steps to stop in front of Ilia, tapping at the screen the same as she had with all the others. Pulling out her scroll, Ilia looks down at the notification on it and draws a surprised breath.

_HUNTSMAN LICENSE, Atlas._

_NAME: Amitola, Ilia  
LN: 63700-16778-13570_

_PLACE OF ISSUE: Atlas_  
_AUTHORITY: Atlas Academy_  
_RESTRICTIONS: Class C_

Even knowing that the look on her face is dumb isn't enough to keep it at bay, looking up to see Ironwood staring directly at her. And a smirking Qrow, by his side doing the same. Thanks to that attention on her - and mostly likely her surprised gasp as well - everyone else is now focused her way, too.

"But... I'm not a huntsman?"

Ironwood turns an amused glance to Qrow by his side, who meets it evenly, before addressing her question. "While not exactly the most _conventional_ student I've had, you're not wet behind the ears either. You've made it this far, haven't you?" Then he grins, that knowing twinkle in his eye again. "Consider it a second chance. I'll be interested to see what you do with it."

Qrow is still just smirking next to his old friend, and it dawns on her that he was most likely the one to request she also be granted a license; and from the "second chance" comment, presumably also informed Ironwood of what little about her past he is aware of.

_Former White Fang agent turned pro-huntress... Guess that makes two of us now, huh Blake?_

With a last look at the license in her hand to confirm it's real, she looks up with a smile to meet the expecting gaze of Ironwood. "I... Thank you. You won't regret it."

He nods placidly, about to turn back to addressing the rest of the newly-licensed huntsmen and is abruptly cut off by Ruby lifting Ilia up into her arms and cheering.

She absolutely does not flounder in surprise at the sneak-attack from her right.

"Aww, Ilia! I'm so proud of you!"

Somewhere nearby, Ilia can hear the rest of her team laughing at this display, but she's too distracted to really care - caught up in the feeling of being held so tightly by Ruby, and the tears threatening to fall if she allows them to.

It's... been a very long time since someone was proud of her for something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes for this chapter:  
> I don't particularly like the Ace Ops much at all. I never did, ever from the second that dude on the airship called them "Ironwood's personal attack dogs", and that's going to be reflected a little more in this story than was in the show. Especially considering the snide attitude they had about RWBYJNOR being "friends", I doubt they'd be any more pleasant learning that RWBY are even more than that. 
> 
> I also know that Yang would not hesitate to throw hands with Harriet for being snide to Ruby and making her feel like shit like that, as she should 😌
> 
> And in my stories, in case you've not read them before, I headcanon some types of faunus as being able to smell things a lot better than humans - in Pumpkin Pollination, Velvet could tell Pyrrha had been involved with RWBY just from being close enough to her to smell her. I think it would be cool if faunus had some advantages depending on their types of faunus - better hearing, scent, eyesight, etc. Blake as a cat faunus would have better hearing, obviously, as well as a better sense of smell. But Ilia, as a reptilian faunus, I imagine would have better eyesight, even compared to other faunus. Maybe even be able to see in slightly more colours than humans can? She'd probably be a little more reactive to temperature changes and stuff too.
> 
> Also, Weiss' "Schnee" pun is a double-whanmy - "Schnee" translates to "snow", fitting in with the theme of the rest of the puns so far :p


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter because my insomnia is ~merking my ass~ I'm fed up lying in bed waiting on sleep to claim me when my body insists on only being tired between 11am and 4pm (ノ•̀ o •́ )ノ ~ ┻━┻
> 
> ALSO! Take note of the rating change for this story to "Mature". It's nothing too exciting, but definitely getting a little _spicy_ compared to how it's been so far. Consider this your warning to those who are reading, that this story may very well proceed to get 🔥 spicier 🔥 as time goes on depending on what mood I am in when I write the chapters 😌
> 
> And I have hit 100 subscriptions on this story! Ahhhhh that's so exciting, can't believe there are a HUNDRED people out there who care enough about this piece to subscribe to it so thank you for that <3
> 
> Find me on tumblr! @shallitickleyournerdbutton
> 
> Enjoy!

"That's… just about all the pomp I have in me. If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to running this operation. Um… well, then. Enjoy the cake."

Ironwood turns to leave, Winter about to follow at his back before he notices Penny and Weiss watching after her. With an amused grin, he stops her with a hand. "Winter, why don't you stay and socialise? You've been working a lot recently, it'll do you some good."

"Sir?" It's short and sweet and yet still clearly communicates the fact that she very much does not seem to want to do that.

Encouraged by catching her off-guard, he actually smiles and glances in Penny's direction. "I'm sure Penny will appreciate it if you do."

At hearing her name, Penny pounces across the distance between her and her girl - with only a little bit of help from the rocket boosters on her boots - and wraps a happy arm around Winter's. None of them seem to know what to expect from Winter in response to the expecting smile being directed at her, watching in surprise as she immediately cracks and returns the expression.

"Okay. I'll see you in the morning?"

Ironwood nods placidly, turning on his heel and striding off out of the main doors and leaving his lieutenant at the mercy of not only her rambunctious girlfriend, but also her sister and her many equally rambunctious friends.

Ruby cheers somewhere to Ilia's left, copying Penny and bouncing her way over towards Winter immediately to assumedly bombard her with questions - Weiss attempting to stop her from doing exactly that, and acting a second too late to get a grip of Ruby before she's already gone.

"Uh oh, Weiss. Better watch out, before Ruby starts telling embarrassing stories about you." Blake giggles behind a hand, only getting louder and less subdued when Weiss glares at her for the comment.

"Honestly, I'm not sure if it's Ruby and her stories I'm worried about."

Yang perks up immediately at that, amusement as good as stamped on her face as she smirks over at Weiss. "Oh, _really_? Is this our chance to hear some stories about wittle baby Weissy?"

"Call me that again, and it'll be the last words you ever speak."

"Please, you'd miss my tongue too much."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sadly, Winter does not share any stories about "wittle baby Weissy". They do however manage to coax her and Penny into taking a couple photos with all of them - one with all the teams together, and then another one of just team RWBIY and the couple.

"A family picture," Blake had joked to both Schnee sisters, receiving the _exact_ same bemused look from both of them for it. It had only made her laugh harder, at the resemblance between them both and being able to get such a reaction out of them.

Blake does like to pick the oddest moments to be a brat.

Ilia deliberately doesn't focus on the fact that she was very much a part of said "family photo", and the strange feelings it gives her deep in her chest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excitement waning after their impromptu party, the walk back to their room is rather subdued - Nora and Ruby's voices mostly being the only two still chirping away, Ren by Nora's side as always, and with the occasional comment from Jaune who is still cooing at his huntsman license every few minutes. Ilia can hardly blame him, she _also_ wants to keep looking at hers... she's just a bit cooler about it than Jaune, that's all. Oscar and Weiss are lagging behind the rest of them, words quiet as they huddle together looking at something on Weiss' scroll.

Yang has her arms around both Ilia and Blake again, except this time instead of her dragging them, they're the ones dragging her along - the blonde's boots scuffing along the flooring as they all make their way back. If she looks over, Ilia can see Blake's ears twitching in annoyance at the sound every time Yang doesn't lift her feet properly, and it's more than a little amusing how irritated Blake gets about the most stupid things.

They bid goodnight to the other team, continuing the few doors down to their own room and breaking apart to start getting ready for bed. Yang just flops onto Blake's bed fully dressed, getting an amused head shake from her in return for being so difficult. As usual, Ilia keeps her eyes on her own bunk as she changes - she's already had more than enough eyefuls from this lot to do her plenty.

And to put her blood pressure under serious concern.

Following Yang's lead, she allows herself to flop onto her bed for a moment, listening to Ruby nagging Yang from her spot still laying on the bed next to Ilia's.

"Yang, you can't sleep in your clothes. Get up."

"Make me."

"At least take your boots off the bed. It's rude."

"Counteroffer - get off my dick, Ruby."

"Weisssss..."

"What?"

"Make Yang do as she's told."

"She doesn't listen to me either."

"Hmm. Blaaaaaake..."

"Yang, get up and change."

"Ugh. _Fine._ "

"Oh, so you'll listen to Blake before your own sister? I'm hurt. Hurt and betrayed."

_They're all so stupid. I love it so much._

Rolling over to see what's going on around her, Ilia's focus immediately lands on Blake standing in front of the desk across from her bed. She's fussing with her hair, trying to sort her her hair properly around her ears where it's gotten ruffled somehow.

_Huh. I've never really thought about how annoying it must be to have to fix her hair around them all the time._

Blake glances at Ilia watching her in the mirror, turning with a little smile and moving to sit herself by her side on the bed. "My braid came out when I cut it, would you do another one for me?"

"Oh! Yea, of course." Ilia ignores the way her heart jumps happily at the request, motioning for Blake to turn her head a bit more and starting to do as she's been asked.

With the new length it doesn't take anywhere near as long, and she allows herself a moment to thumb over the braid once it's back in place, enjoying the sight of it in Blake's hair just like she had the first time. Another bright smile is sent her way when she finishes, Blake reaching up to feel it just like Ilia had been doing.

"Thank you. I like having it there, makes me think of you." Blake just continues smiling innocently, like she doesn't know exactly how sweet what she's just said is and stirring all those old feelings Ilia really isn't getting the space to deal with properly.

Jury is still out as to whether she's bothered by it.

She's got plenty of other things to be worrying about - and here comes one of them now, Ruby bouncing onto the mattress on the opposite side to Blake and grinning at them both.

"Mine is kind of falling out now, too. Do you mind?"

Ruby spins round on the bed to face away from Ilia, not really waiting for an answer; she doesn't really need to, they all know Ilia isn't going to say no by now. When Ilia begins to loosen the one there and start a fresh one, Ruby hums happily at having her hair played with.

_No seriously, how can someone actually be this cute in real life? It's not fair._

Weiss wanders over to Ilia's bed too, and expecting her to use it as a step up onto her own, they shift over to allow her space to do so. Except she doesn't, dipping down to sit next to Blake and leaning heavily into her, forcing Blake to wrap her arms around Weiss to stop herself from being knocked back into the wall.

"Hello to you too, Weiss. Isn't it your bedtime?"

"Mmm. Yes, but I wanted a hug first."

"I guess I can allow it."

"You're not getting a choice."

That gets a laugh out of all of them and, just like the previous night, Yang appears and drops herself onto the bed at the far end - finally in her pyjamas, and grinning at Ruby when her sister playfully glares her way for ignoring her earlier.

"We having another bonding sesh in Ilia's bed? I'm hurt I wasn't invited to join."

Ruby snarks back immediately, just as Ilia's tying off the braid. "Not our fault you're slow."

Yang just eyes her lazily, gaze flicking to Ilia with an entirely too placid smile on her face that doesn't quite reach her eyes. A hand gestures to the braid Ilia is just finishing off. "You done yet?"

Confused, Ilia tilts her head at the question. "Um, yea?"

Immediately, Yang reaches out and shoves Ruby backwards off the bed, laughing at the squawk it gets as she lands ass over head on the carpet - not having reacted fast enough to the assault to offset the push with her semblance.

Flashing back onto her feet as they all crack up, Ruby points a finger right at Yang. It's not as threatening as she seems to think it is.

"You dick, what the hell?"

"That's what you get for being cheeky to me."

"You're cheeky to me all the time!"

"I'm older than you, I'm allowed to be cheeky to you. It's part of the job, I don't make the rules."

"Really? Cause it certainly feels like it."

The juxtaposition of Blake and Weiss snuggling quietly to her left, and Ruby and Yang thisclose to throwing hands with each other on her right is enough to have Ilia's head whirling. Also not missed is the fact that they've just decided to set up camp on her bed again, uninvited and unprompted.

Eventually the sisters calm, Yang goading Ruby close enough to her to plant a wet kiss against her cheek in "apology." All it really does is make Ruby squeal again, shoving Yang away with a laugh and moving out of reach before she can do it again. Tired as she is, Ilia doesn't react in time before Yang turns and does the exact same to her and getting a similar response in return for the action, the taller girl bouncing up off her bed and away before she suffers any retaliation for being such a pest.

Blake manages to lift herself _and_ Weiss onto their feet after a decent amount of struggling thanks to the fact Weiss isn't being particularly cooperative and is refusing to let her go, but she manages and eventually coaxes Weiss up into her bed after peppering kisses all over her face to wake her up a bit.

Ruby leans down to press a little kiss to Ilia's cheek, the same one Yang had smooched a few minutes before, whispering goodnight before she moves to hop into Blake's bunk - _literally_ hop, from the grunt Ilia hears from the other faunus in the room in response at being jumped on.

"Goodnight, team RWBY!"

They all wish her goodnight in return, plus an annoyed scolding from Weiss - "Volume, Ruby." - and Ilia finally gets under the covers on her bed now that it's been vacated by the rest of her team, wishing eagerly for sleep to claim her.

Instead, her thoughts are claimed by Yang, and the weird moment between them both on the airship earlier.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Truthfully, Ilia wants to say she's surprised.

She really, truly, _emphatically_ wants to... but that doesn't do anything about how she is most certainly not, upon waking up to noises that are incredibly similar to the ones from the previous morning coming from the bunk next to hers. The bunk that houses not only just Ruby and Blake, but more than a few questionable feelings for one Ilia Amitola.

_Surely not... surely they're not at it again this morning? I'm right here! If it weren't for that partition I'd literally be able to see them. Team RWBY - lacking in both sense and shame, it seems._

Sarcasm aside, it doesn't change the fact that it's _Blake_ who's trying to keep quiet this time and, whether she likes it or not, Ilia hasn't exactly had the chance to get over those specific feelings quite yet. Not like any of her new team seem at all perturbed by that knowledge, considering their - fairly consistent - actions since she joined up with them all.

While similar, the sounds aren't quite the same as the ones from yesterday, and it takes her a long moment to understand exactly what might be going on literally feet away from her - seems Ruby is giving Blake the ol' bobblehead treatment this morning. Having no experience of her own with _that_ particular body part, it makes her flush even more at the realisation.

In fitting with her teasing Ruby for being noisy yesterday morning, Blake is a bit better at keeping quiet herself, Ruby still managing to be the louder one out of the two - an interesting feat, considering the fact her mouth is full. It kind of just encourages Ilia to listen in more intently; any belief that she shouldn't be doing so well and truly tossed out the window by her head.

Obviously, the rest of them don't seem to care much what she sees or hears, so why should she?

Even subdued as they're trying to be, it doesn't take long before Blake can be heard growing a little louder, voice strained as she speaks lowly. "Ruby... I'm gonna..."

Ilia can only assume that she does, hearing Ruby squeak a minute later and Blake groan her name once again. Giggling follows not long after, first Ruby then Blake, something being whispered between the two of them deliberately quiet enough that no one can hear, and broken occasionally by kissing noises. Ilia just remains trapped in her bed, once again staring up at the bunk above her where Weiss has continued to gently snore her way through all of this.

_I honestly don't know which one of them I'm jealous of right now. Maybe ignorance really is bliss?_

Already, she knows that her _mixed_ feelings regarding Blake, and hell even Ruby at this point, have been in no way soothed by her voyeuristic start to the day. Ilia remains staring up at the bunk above her when Ruby gets up to start her day, fighting off the temptation to look over and see what state of (un)dressed she may be this morning for the sake of her blood pressure.

"I think you should come shower with me again this morning, Blake. It's only fair."

Blake chuckles, sliding up to accept the towel Ruby is holding out her way expectantly. "You mean you want the favour returned, don't you?"

"Well, if you're offering."

The door to their room clicks open, and one may have been fooled into believing they had both left - if it weren't for the fact Ilia is acutely aware of eyes on her where she's trying so, _so_ hard to not look over. Head and heart warring with each other for a long moment, she remains that way until curiosity wins out, deciding to take the chance and see what sight she's about to be greeted by.

Ruby stands with her towel simply draped around the back of her shoulders... and that's it.

That's. _It._

The second Ilia glances up to meet her eyes, she winks and blows a kiss before vanishing out of view. Blake can very clearly be heard giggling from her place out in the hallway, having obviously been a conspirator in this little plot.

_...I think I'm starting to understand why Yang doesn't trust them together._

Yang's alarm goes off about twenty minutes later, the blonde rolling out of her bed and landing on the carpet to stretch. She glances at the empty bunk, over to where Ilia is still lying like a deer caught in headlights after Ruby's little performance this morning, and just shakes her head with a laugh.

"Do I even want to know?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yang leaves not long after, tossing a command over her shoulder to Ilia right as she disappears out the door.

"Be a doll and get Weiss up for me, thank you~"

And... she's gone before Ilia has a chance to argue about the job assignment, the door closing behind her with an ominous click that is now very loud in the quiet room; the starting gun for what may very well be a morning about to take another strange turn.

_I suppose it gives me some more time before I have to see Ruby again._

Honestly, whether she's nervous or excited about seeing her team leader again so soon after seeing... well, everything else on her, she's not sure. It's something she'll likely only find out once it happens.

But until then, she has a job to do.

Slipping out of bed, Ilia stands on the side of it to peer up at Weiss dozing away and assess the situation - Weiss is turned into the wall, and the only visible part of her is her mass of white hair, bunched up around her pillow. She's not snoring anymore though, so that's something.

"Weiss..?"

"Yes?"

Ilia has to actively restrain her surprise when Weiss actually responds, having been expecting her to be dead to the world; and Ilia's prodding as a result. Even so, her sleepy voice is cute and a smile still presses its way onto Ilia's face at hearing it.

"Yang said you've to get up."

"Well tell Yang to suck it, and to do her own dirty work."

"Please don't make me have to go say that to her." Ilia may be laughing, but that doesn't mean she's entirely joking.

A long moment passes of nothing happening, before Weiss sighs and rolls over, one blue eye peeking out to look at Ilia. "How about you get in with me, and then I'll decide?"

Flawed logic aside, the request is _very_ tempting - even if it most likely is just an excuse for Weiss to steal a few more minutes in her bed.

_I really shouldn't encourage her... Yang will probably be expecting us._

"Deal. Move over."

And there she is, being a hypocrite again. Some things are just worth it, and getting to cuddle with a sleepy Weiss is most definitely worth the risk of Yang coming to look for them both. Weiss giggles, and does as she's been - _so_ politely - asked, shuffling back towards the wall and allowing Ilia the space to swing up onto the bunk next to her.

"If I knew it was going to be that easy, I'd have asked you sooner."

"You know now."

Weiss hums, and it's a very pleasant sound that makes Ilia's heart flutter again. "I do."

Weiss waits for her to settle down under the covers, before slipping in closer to Ilia and wrapping an arm around her waist, head tucked under Ilia's chin and smelling sweetly like whatever shampoo Weiss had stolen from one of the supply closets near their dorm room - along with the variety of other care products she'd decided to grab.

"Atlas is nothing if not efficient," she had replied when they asked her why the campus just has random storerooms around the place.

It's not often that Ilia is the bigger one in an embrace so getting to be the one holding Weiss to her is oddly satisfying, the other girl snuggling into her neck with a sigh. The hand not draped over Ilia's waist is tucked between them both, against Ilia's chest where she sorely hopes Weiss can't feel her heart pounding with nervous excitement.

"Mmm... you're nice to hold. Thank you for humouring me, Ilia."

"No problem. And, uh-- you're nice to hold, too."

_No need to thank me, I'm pretty sure I'm the real winner here._

"Anything interesting happen this morning?"

Spoken so innocently, the question completely catches Ilia off-guard and she freezes; not made any better is the fact that Weiss laughs into her neck, warm breath tickling the hair there that has come loose from her ponytail. Weiss having clearly felt the reaction from the girl she's wrapped around, considering it would rather hard for her not to this close, presses the hand between them both a little more flush against Ilia's chest - far off enough to not be groping, but with how hyper aware Ilia is of her right now it's not really much consolation.

"Um... Well, a little. I was... woken up by Ruby and Blake." Weiss just laughs again, and Ilia questions her about it. "How did you know?"

"Ruby isn't consistent with much, but her mood in the morning is pretty established by now. I just figured."

Not mentioned is Ruby's decision to flash Ilia, considering the fact Weiss also did so a couple nights ago and Ilia isn't certain she wants to risk _that_ topic coming up right now. Certainly not while they're cuddled up in each other's arms, anyway.

Instead, Ilia decides to return fire and poke fun at Weiss; none of them are particularly slow at teasing her, after all. "I've noticed. She did get her use out of you yesterday, didn't she?"

Weiss barely even reacts to the teasing, not giving anything away. "Enjoy the show, did you?"

The question causes Ilia to freeze once more, unsure what to respond and instantly regretting attempting to rib _Weiss_ of any of them. Feeling Weiss starting to silently laugh again doesn't help, her body shaking with the effort to keep quiet.

_It's a trap._

Her answer must have taken too long as Weiss just continues herself, the sleepiness gone from her voice and replaced with obvious amusement - and at Ilia's expense, too. "We knew you were listening."

_It's a trap, it's a trap, it's a trap._

"Considering how easy it was to get you into my bed this morning, I do wonder if it would always be quite that easy to get you to join in... Should we test that?"

Ilia tries to respond, but all that comes out is a strangled sound and Weiss stops making any effort to not laugh at her internal struggling. Pulling herself up out of Ilia's arms, she allows herself a long moment to take in the flushed faunus in her bed with a grin.

"Next time you consider enabling Yang, think twice. Come on, we should get going before she does come hunt us down."

She moves a leg over Ilia lying prone - and a little intimidated - in her bed, briefly straddling her for a moment, before hopping down out of the bunk to start her day. Just like the previous morning, Weiss barely even glances back at Ilia before heading out of the room to go find the rest of their team. There's a spring in her step, and Ilia realises exactly what she had meant with her parting comment - seems she'd finally gotten her revenge for Ilia taking Yang's side and spanking her yesterday.

_I was right. It was always a trap._

When she eventually manages to pull her heart and her head together enough to get out of the state Weiss' teasing had left her in, she grabs her scroll just to see a message from Yang.

Yang: "Let me guess - Weiss talked you into bed with her."

Ilia: "Yes. Yes she did, and I paid for it."

Yang's response is immediate, potentially having been waiting for her to see the text and answer.

Yang: "Kinky ;)"

The callback gets an ugly laugh out of her, and she heads off to continue the rest of her already _very_ weird day, with her even weirder team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes for this chapter:  
> I REALLY wanted to write that Ruby was "giving Blake the gluck gluck 3000 treatment" before I talked myself out of it in favour of something a little less distasteful XD so... you're welcome? 
> 
> And for those of you who actually read these notes, I am opening up the poll for what nickname Robyn would give Ilia. So far I have "Freckles", "Sprinkles", "Sun-tan" and "Ring-tail". If you guys like any of those, or have one you like better, cast your votes and nominations in the comments below :p
> 
> As always, kudos and comments welcome ^.^


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! NonsensicalNyanbinary drew some fanart for chapter 8 of this fic which is very cute, so go check that out:  
> [FANART](https://nyansense-the-nyanbinary.tumblr.com/post/643340524677382144/hey-hey-ilia-its-okay-dont-think-about-it)
> 
> Also! I beta'd a story for another reader of this one - NeonTinkerbell - featuring Silver-eyed!Ilia, so if you're a fan of one gay little chameleon go give that a read :p  
> [FIC](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29606856)
> 
> Not too much to say about this one, there's notes at the bottom as usual. ^.^ it's a little longer thanks to the wait after the last one.
> 
> Find me on tumblr! @shallitickleyournerdbutton
> 
> Enjoy!

"Which stall is Yang's?"

Weiss hadn't been too far ahead of her, and Ilia just catches her question to Ruby upon entering the shower room after her. Blake turns an amused smirk over in Ilia's direction immediately at her walking through the door, speaking nothing and yet saying everything, before she returns her attention to blow-drying her hair. Glancing towards the stalls, Ilia notes there's two occupied and leaving the question as to who else is with them a mystery for now.

Ruby raises a confused brow at Weiss, sitting patiently in the same spot she had been the morning before as she once again waits on Blake. It's something she seems to spend a fair amount of time doing - Ruby being apparently much lower maintenance than her dark-haired girlfriend.

Weiss marches past Ruby towards one of the sinks, turning on the cold water and allowing it to run over her hand for a moment as Ruby hesitantly answers her.

"The furthest one..? Why, what are you going to do to her?"

Weiss has already spun and started heading directly for Yang's stall before Ruby had finished her - incredibly distrusting - enquiry, a look of pure determination on her face as she goes.

"Don't worry about it."

"Literally the most worrying answer you could give..."

Ruby's attention remains firmly on Weiss' retreating form, Ilia copying her out of the curiosity that has been increasing with literally every sentence that has been shared in this little interaction between the two girls. Even Blake halts her preening, floating over to Ilia's side and watching quietly.

Weiss waits a second outside Yang's stall, before choosing her moment to slip in behind the other girl without being noticed. Not even a second passes before Yang starts screaming; and for a girl with a relatively deep voice, she can hit an impressively high register. The sound makes all three spying girls flinch on instinct, and at least a little in sympathy.

"Weiss, what the fu--! Was that your hand?!"

Weiss can very clearly be heard giggling, a tease in her voice as she responds and carrying cleanly through the entire room. "You've never complained about my hands before."

"That... yea, okay. That was pretty funny, but don't do it again. My heart nearly fell out my arse."

Blake sniggers when they fall silent, and no one need question exactly why they might have, sauntering back over to the mirror she'd been set-up in front of before all the excitement. "Hmm, wonder where Weiss put that hand..."

Laughing at the comment, Ruby meets Blake's eye in the mirror. "I think we can probably guess."

It's not until then that Ruby's attention fully shifts to Ilia, the barest twinkle in her eye when she catches Ilia's own watching her. Absolutely, deliberately, and _intentionally_ , her gaze drops to roam over Ilia standing not far away from her place sitting on the bench, before lifting back up to her face.

"Did you like what you saw? You could always return the favour, you know. It's just me and Blake here."

Ears perking up, Blake turns like she's been summoned by the indirect comment, peering between Ruby and Ilia interestedly. To her credit, Ilia manages not to flush at the teasing and proposition from Ruby - it's becoming something of a constant from them all, and Ilia is nothing if not quick to adapt.

And after being outright flashed by Ruby that morning, the words are lacking the bite they would have perhaps held otherwise.

_Kinda hard to be embarrassed by flirting after some direct action._

And honestly, they're all clearly feeling rather bold this morning...

What _would_ happen if she decided to do as Ruby has just asked?

The thought is enticing, if only to see that smug smirk wipe itself from Ruby's face; and it _is_ just the three of them in the room right now. Time is ticking for her to make a choice, and it's only made when Ruby turns a far too cocky grin at Blake - clearly celebrating a victory of some sort - which the other girl returns, that Ilia does exactly that.

Dropping her towel she'd been clutching onto on one of the shelves by her side, Ilia grabs the hem of her pyjama shirt in one fluid motion and tugs it over her head, watching matching slack-jawed expressions appear on both Ruby and Blake's faces at her joining whatever little game it is they're playing. Next are her bottoms, pulled down along with her underwear, and she stalks over towards a now-blissfully quiet Ruby who is peering up at her with wide eyes.

Ruby flushes almost as red as the cape she's probably wishing she had right about now when Ilia stops in front of her, and Ilia drops her clothes into the other girl's lap with a smirk sharp enough to slice the tension in the air between the three of them.

"Be careful what you wish for, Red."

Neither Ruby nor Blake have anything smart to say when Ilia wanders back over to collect her towel, disappearing into a shower stall herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nora slides into her seat behind them before the morning briefing properly kicks off, leaning forward to wrap an arm around as many of them as she can and grabbing the attention of all five girls.

"Morning, ladies. Just wanted to thank all of you for the entertainment this morning."

Immediately, Ruby and Blake laugh as the rest of them alternate their confusion between them both and Nora - who is grinning in a way that is absolutely a bit worrying.

"I forgot you were there, sorry dude."

"Like it would have really mattered even if you did remember."

"I mean, probably not."

Weiss leans forward, rotating slightly in her seat at the end of the row to address Nora and Ruby properly; brow crinkled, and trying not to look as left out as Ilia is feeling. "What are you talking about? What entertainment?"

Something clicks, deep in the back of Ilia's mind, and a second before Nora answers the question - the other person in the showers with them this morning, it must have been Nora. It seems so obvious now; there's not that many teams back on campus after everything that happened at Beacon and Haven.

"You assaulting Yang, for a start." Then Nora's focus swivels in the direction of the aforementioned girl and looking even more amused, if it were possible. "Never knew you had such a girly scream, by the way."

Yang laughs, the sound more embarrassed than Ilia has heard from her before now, and rubs at the back of her head. "Yea, well, I've never had a freezing cold hand grab my bare arse before."

Blake chooses that moment to send a knowing look to both Ilia and Ruby - and she's not sure how she knew, but Ilia just _knew_ the joke that was about to come before Blake had even had the chance to voice it.

"Guess we don't need to wonder anymore, guys."

Yang and Weiss both give her a look, the same bemused expression on the pair of them, and causing everyone else who isn't them to start giggling. Weiss is about to retaliate, but refrains from voicing whatever she had been about to say when Jaune and Ren slot themselves into the seats on either side of their boisterous teammate. Oscar slinks over to join them a moment later, looking somewhat nervous - and with Jaune resting a hand on his shoulder in an effort to comfort him.

_Probably worried about what today is gonna bring for him... Poor kid._

"Good, you're all here. We can begin."

At the sound of Clover's voice, their attentions shift to the front of the room, stopping the conversation dead in its tracks, all of them listening in as the head bootlicker starts his prepared spiel for the day.

"You'll be split into teams today, and each team will undergo a day of assessment and training under the supervision of the Ace Ops; excluding myself, who will be assisting the team not being assessed. Team RWBY will go first, followed by team JNOR tomorrow - who will instead be tasked with watching the walls in Mantle."

Clover pauses, looking over them all and waiting for any questions. When none are voiced, he continues and turns to the board behind him which flicks to show their corresponding assignments. One thing in particular stands out, despite having taken her a moment to truly notice it - on the board, their team names are written as 'JNOR' and... 'RWBIY'.

It's the first time she's actually _seen_ her initial included, it slipping in so naturally that she hadn't actually even realised it was there immediately. Glancing around at the rest of her team, either they've also not noticed or they just don't actually care to be bothered by it.

Almost like it's always been there.

Warmth blooms across her chest, and she turns back to the front before anyone notices her distracted state.

"The purpose of these first couple training days is so we can properly assess your skills and abilities, in order to best help you improve going forward. We can't help you until we know what each of you can do."

With another tap to his datapad, the lights come back on and he addresses the room one last time.

"Any questions?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weiss leads them all down to the training room, the rest of them filing in past her and taking in the high-tech space around them as she follows behind. They've barely crossed the threshold when Winter pops up out of a floor vent by the door, and draws their attention her way. She's shucked her uniform jacket, her usually pristine shirt marred by... something, and her hands coated with the same substance. Oil, maybe?

_She actually looks pretty good like that, the grease-monkey vibe kinda fits her._

Winter and Weiss lock eyes, a heavy beat of loud silence passing between them both as Winter moves to grab a towel and wipe whatever it is on her hands off them. Winter just raises a brow at her sister for the staring, crossing to the control panel right above the section of the floor she'd appeared from, and getting the same look from Weiss in return.

"What're you doing here?"

Winter doesn't look up from what she's fiddling with as she responds to the question. "Technical assistance. You'd be surprised how few people actually understand how to properly manipulate the environments in the training rooms. Honestly, it's not that hard. I don't feel like spending hours debugging the program when Elm inevitably breaks it again with her ham-handed fingers, so I'm just doing it myself."

Ilia has her doubts about that - just because it's not hard for _Winter_ certainly doesn't mean it's not hard period. Ilia also can't help noting with amusement that neither of them actually greet each other with a "hello" like normal people or siblings probably would.

"And you were under the floor because..?"

"Sometimes the control panel gets knocked and things come loose." Finally, she glances over at Weiss and the rest of them watching her as she works. "What's with the interrogation?"

Weiss scoffs, crossing her arms as she regards Winter right back. "Am I not allowed to ask? I only asked you two things, that's hardly an interrogation."

"Three things, now. And three too many."

_They're both so snippy with each other and there's literally no need. Are all the Schnees like this?_

"Ugh, whatever. I won't ask next time."

Yang picks then to chime into the conversation, prodding at Weiss with a grin as she so often does. "You know Weiss, I forget you're the middle child until moments like this."

Winter actually chuckles at that, and it just seems to irritate Weiss even more than being brushed off had.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Just that you must be an annoying little sister to have."

"She is."

Weiss openly glares at both Yang and Winter for tag-teaming her, narrowing her eyes in Yang's direction in offense. "Like you're the best big sister, you bully Ruby all the time."

"It's _affectionate_ bullying. Ruby knows I love her."

"My point still stands."

"As does mine."

Moving between the two of them bickering, Ruby points a scolding finger at each girl and affects her 'team leader' voice when she addresses them. "No fighting."

The telling off grants her an eyeroll from both of them, but it does succeed at getting them to knock it off before it escalates; Ilia can't help the feeling that Ruby has to reprimand them like this somewhat often, due to how fast it shuts the incoming fight down. A suspicion that's only further backed up by the fact Blake laughs at seeing her do it.

Behind them, the doors slide open again and the Ace Ops enter to start their training - and probably just in the nick of time. At noticing Winter's presence, they pause to talk with her for a moment while the teens advance more into the room to give them the space to do so, breaking up a little and spreading out to prepare to actually begin for the day. Distantly, they hear Winter warn all of the Ace Ops against touching the control panel - with a slight threat of bodily harm if they do so. It seems to work, as they look appropriately chastised when they break away from their chat with her.

Having expected Winter to take her leave, Ilia has to fend off the surprise when she instead heads towards Ilia's direction, drawing to a stop right in front of her.

"Ms. Amitola, I understand you've yet to unlock a semblance?"

Winter stares down at Ilia, eyes the same cool shade as her sister's and forcing Ilia to push away the urge to flinch just as she had when she first met Weiss back in the train station. She hasn't bothered to put her uniform coat back on, probably not wanting to get it dirty with the substance still marking her shirt. Somehow, it just makes her more intimidating.

"No, I haven't. Why do you ask?"

Off to the side, just close enough to be eavesdropping, Weiss is watching this whole interaction with poorly hidden interest. Winter remains looking down at Ilia, in her standard military pose, and it feels just a _little_ like she's sizing Ilia up.

_What the hell has Weiss told her about me?_

"Well, in absence of a semblance, and in light of... questionable combat training--"

" _Winter._ " Weiss warns, still watching them both and now not making much effort to pretend otherwise.

Winter glances over her way, sighing after a long second and seemingly accepting the scolding look being sent her way. She turns back to Ilia and continues a little nicer. Just a little.

"Weiss told me that you can camouflage yourself, so I think it would be best to focus on training that instead. You'll need to have the best skills available to you as possible, and that ability of yours is highly-unique. We have the technology to recreate a vast range of dynamic environments in order to help you do so. If you would like to follow me?"

Turning on her heel, Winter heads towards one of the side doors out of the main training room, not even bothering to check that Ilia is following after her - and allowing her the space to be annoyed at Weiss for outing her so flippantly to her sister. Part of her, the part used to hiding around girls exactly like Winter, wants to flash with anger. And she would have, if it weren't for Weiss sliding over to immediately place herself in the spot that Winter had just vacated, a concerned look on her face as she meets Ilia's eyes.

Ilia may not know Winter, but she is starting to know Weiss - enough to know that she would never do something to hurt one of her friends.

And Ilia is pretty confident that 'friends' includes her at this point, too.

"Sorry about Winter, she's just... like that. She doesn't actually mean anything by it, even if she could definitely be nicer."

Once again, a sense of déjà vu tinges this conversation - it's awfully similar to the one she and Weiss had shared back when they first met, just about Winter instead of Ruby this time.

Allowing the irritation to fizz out, Ilia smiles at Weiss and receives one back in return. "It's fine. I've dealt with worse than that."

At her easy acceptance, Weiss reaches out to place a hand on Ilia's arm, about to say something back and being cut off by Winter irritably clearing her throat. Instead, the soft smile morphs into a smirk, and she gives Ilia something of a knowing look.

"Better not keep her waiting."

Distracted as she is by Weiss once again initiating contact between them both, Ilia returns a grin of her own, jogging backwards a few steps holding Weiss' eye before turning to join an impatient Winter.

And... she's almost certain she just heard Weiss giggling ominously at her back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Winter barely gives her a break, in between constantly switching the environment around her and directing her motions to better fit in with her surroundings.

Worse than that, is the fact she had been commanded to strip to her underwear and feeling more than a little exposed for it. Not asked, not requested - _ordered_ to strip. Seeing Ilia's weird look at the demand, Winter had simply sighed and gone back to meddling with the panel by her side.

"The clothes are clouding the data, and your effectiveness. It would be most efficient if you remove them."

Ilia had been tempted to make the joke she wanted to about Winter just wanting her naked. But she _is_ scary, and so Ilia doesn't.

She values her life a little too much to go risking it quite so recklessly.

And it could be worse - it's just the two of them alone in the room together. Not like she has an audience to her humiliation, thank Brothers for that. She's yet to decide if Winter's clinical and professional attitude is helping, or just making her feel shittier.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They're in there for hours, so long that Ilia isn't even sure if it's still the same day. Her skin is tingling weirdly - itchy and uncomfortable from being forced to change so many times, and for so long. Eventually, enough time must have passed that the rest of her team have finished their own training.

Something she only finds out when the door to the room dings open behind her.

As if it was intentional, Winter chooses that moment to shut off the simulation; leaving her standing alone in an empty room, in nothing but her knickers.

Turning to look over her shoulder, she's granted to exactly the sight she knew would be - the rest of her team frozen in the doorway and taking in the sight of her standing there. A few giggles follow, as well as more than a few wandering looks. Someone even whistles at her, just before Blake steps forward to question her on her state of dress, laugh barely held back out of her voice as she does so.

"Why are you half-naked?"

And apparently her skin isn't too exhausted for one last colour change, flushing her entirely pink head-to-toe as she crosses her arms defensively over her chest. Not that it's going to do her much good right now.

"I don't wanna talk about it."

Her grumpy response achieves little more than getting more laughter out of them all, none of them bothering to hide their roaming eyes. Suddenly, she regrets being so brazen as to strip in front of Ruby and Blake that morning.

It seems to have done nothing but encourage them all to embarrass her. And to ogle her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Flopping down onto her stomach on her bed once they return from dinner, Ilia whines to whoever may be listening to her grumbling.

"My skin feels weird. I think Winter broke me."

"I wouldn't much mind Winter breaking me, either."

" _Yang._ "

"Sorry, Weiss."

"You're not at all sorry."

"Yea, I'm really not. She's hot, if a bit intimidating." Yang moves over to sit on Ilia's bed, chuckling a little at the fact Ilia hasn't moved a muscle since she got back to the room. "How was your 'training' with her anyways, Ilia?"

She's laughing as she asks the question, and at least partially at Ilia and her current state. Turning to glower up at Yang's too-cheery face only makes the other girl more amused, and Ilia finally pushes herself off of her stomach to be able to look at her properly.

"It was... I want to say awful, but honestly it could probably have been worse."

"You've still not explained why you were in your knickers, by the way. I know I'm not the only one of us wondering."

That's when Ilia becomes aware of the fact that all attention is on her and this conversation, and at least a couple of the girls around her are obviously trying not to laugh at her expense.

"Winter made me. I didn't really have much of a choice."

They laugh at how petulant she sounds, Ruby and Blake wandering over to locate themselves on the bed too and forcing Ilia upright to give more space for them to do so.

Blake grins down at her, looking very much like the cat that got the canary. "Winter _made you_ , huh?"

"Well I mean, it's not like she stripped me so don't go getting excited. She said that my clothes were too in the way since they don't change with me, and pretty much ordered me to take them off."

And that's when Ilia very clearly hears Weiss start laughing, the knowing look Weiss had given her before she followed after Winter in the training room coming back to her memory and she leans forward to point an accusing finger in Weiss' direction where she's still standing by one of the desks.

"You knew! You knew I was going to suffer at her hands today, and you did _nothing!_ "

Weiss continues to shake with laughter, making her way over to join them all on Ilia's bed once she composes herself. Yet again, they've all positioned themselves around Ilia on her bed, and she's the furthest thing from upset about it.

_Is this going to become a nightly thing? Because like, I'm fine with it._

"I didn't know _exactly_ what she was going to do with you... it's just that I have spent enough time training with her myself to know it usually hurts somehow."

Ilia openly sulks up at her in betrayal, crossing her arms. "You could have warned me a little..."

"I probably could have, but where's the fun in that?"

Ilia continues pouting at Weiss, and Ruby pulls her into a hug. "Weiss is mean, and so is her sister. It's okay, we're here to make sure you survive them both, Ilia."

Weiss gives her signature "Hey!", as Ilia just cuddles back into Ruby while playing along, tucking her face into Ruby's cape and hiding there.

"They're both so mean, Ruby! Why they gotta be so mean?"

Sagely nodding along at the statement, Yang agrees with her. "The hottest girls are always the meanest."

"Here, here." Blake joins in, playfully looking directly at Weiss as she does so.

Weiss, at being so blatantly picked on, moves to get back up from the bed. "I can tell when I'm not wanted, I'll just leave you all to it then--"

She's grabbed around the waist by Yang, and tugged firmly back onto the bed. "Nuh uh. We love that you're mean. It just makes it even cuter that we get to see nice, sweet Weiss."

Not quite done teasing Weiss, Blake adds on once again. "Even if she is a fleeting appearance sometimes."

Weiss looks at Blake for a hard second, before taking a page out Ruby and Ilia's book, turning a pout to Yang and cuddling into her. "Yang, Blake is mean too! Defend me."

Blake just laughs, entirely unbothered. "I'm fine with it. Let's people know where they stand. And you've just indirectly called me hot, which I'm also fine with."

Ruby, who is pretty much in Ilia's lap at this point and making no signs of moving, leans over to wink at Blake. "You _are_ hot. You all are, Yang and I are very lucky."

Affecting the same offended hand-on-chest pose that Weiss likes to use, Yang glares at Ruby. "Are you saying I'm _not_ hot, Ruby?"

"Nah, you're ugly."

"I will shove you off the bed again."

Ruby immediately clings tighter to Ilia at the threat. "No you won't, Ilia won't let you do that to me again. Right, Ilia?"

"Considering you're wrapped around me like a baby monkey, I don't think she could. But no, I won't let her."

Yang looks at Ilia for a long second, then her eyes flash red - she's very obviously joking, as she laughs even as she speaks. "Oh? And what are _you_ going to do about it, lizard girl."

And Ilia knows _exactly_ what she's going to do about it, meeting the playful challenge head on and allowing her own eyes to flash the same red that Yang's have and enjoying the way it makes Yang jump back a little in surprise. "Come over here and find out, firecracker. I hope you like being whipped in front of your whole team."

They all gape at Ilia for returning fire at Yang so smoothly, laughter breaking out at the startled look on Yang's face due to being so unexpectedly one-upped.

Blake, like the brat she is, starts chanting from her place in the middle of the bunk. "She does like being whipped, actually. Fight, fight, fight!"

Yang slowly - _very_ slowly - turns her still-red eyes to Blake, lingering there for a moment as Blake eyes her back warily. Then Yang flicks her gaze to Ilia, and the two of them come to an instantaneous understanding of what needs to be done, both of them acting as one and swiftly reaching hands out to Blake before she can react.

This time, it's Blake who is shoved off the bed; and all the more funny for it.

"Huh. Guess cats _don't_ always land on their feet after all."

"Fuck off, Ilia." Blake huffs as she strops away to change for the night, and the team meeting on Ilia's bed is once again drawn to a close as the rest of them follow her lead and start actually getting ready to sleep. Right before moving up out of Ilia's lap, Ruby once again leans in to place a kiss on Ilia's cheek - and after everything that's happened between them both today, it most certainly feels a little different from the one's she's gotten before. Not quite teasing, instead it feels... intimate?

More a promise, than a tease.

That night, Ruby decides she's bunking in with Yang. The two of them settle in together... for all of about two minutes, before the bickering starts.

"Ruby, will you quit it with the fidgeting?"

"I can't get comfortable! You're so warm it's making me sweaty."

"You're literally exactly as warm as I am."

"Prove it."

"Ask anyone in this room, you ass."

It continues for a few more minutes, until Weiss eventually snaps at the pair of them both for making such a racket.

"Either shut the fuck up, or separate."

It's like a switch has been flipped at the demand, as they both immediately quiet, becoming instant best buds in the face of their common enemy - being told off by a grumpy Weiss.

"We will not."

"Yea, you don't get to tell us what to do!"

Even in the dark, and being unable to see her do so, they can all practically _hear_ Weiss roll her eyes at the pair of them and their antics. Blake chuckles, low in her chest, but loud enough for them to hear it; Ilia doesn't dare do the same and risk the wrath of Weiss this late.

"Then shut it and go to sleep, before I come over there and separate you myself."

"You wouldn't."

"She absolutely would, Rubes."

But it does seem to work, as they don't say much more after that other than wishing everyone goodnight and getting the same in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes for this chapter:  
> Ilia will be alternating between training with Winter, and joining in with the rest of her team in the big room. This chapter is focused mostly on her training with Winter so that I will be able to just reference to it going forward and y'all can imagine what's going on there without me having to describe what's happening each time.
> 
> I find the fact that the job title Winter has is 'Specialist' rather interesting, so I've been making some effort to give that some context - between both this story, and the one I wrote about her and Penny, I've got her as being something of a techie. It just makes sense from what I can infer from her background so far; she would have come from a business-oriented education for a large industrial company where she was the heiress to it for most of her life. I reckon she'd be smart far past just being a good soldier, while also having her be a bit dumb experience-wise; so that she still misses things that are obvious to other people. Like Ironwood swan-diving off the deep end later on. All-in-all, just giving her a bit more personality than we get to see in the show. Hell, even fucking Whitley has more personality and he's had like 6 minutes of screen time XD
> 
> And as you might be able to tell from this chapter, Ilia is very much starting to dish it out to team RWBY like they've been doing to her. It's only fair, after all 😌 it was so satisfying getting to write Ilia full-on CLAMPING Ruby and Blake.
> 
> Not me realising I'd probably be able to do a decent Ilia cosplay and looking at buying the outfit for her 👀 I already have the right hair and the blue eyes, all I need is the freckles and I'm alright at costume makeup... Talk me out of this guys. Please. My bank account can't handle another useless purchase like this, I'm getting too invested in this story 😩 ....actually now that I'm thinking about it, I am also pretty sure I've got a whip kicking about somewhere... and a catsuit that I could use... I mean it, TALK ME OUT OF THIS SOMEONE PLEASE before I do something embarrassing


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOON 😈
> 
> (Also, I keep forgetting to say but if any of you have anything you'd like to see in this fic then feel free to drop me a comment! I don't mind it unlike some other writers, I like having engagement ^.^)

It's still dark when movement jostles Ilia awake, the time somewhere between "ugh" and "leave me alone" o'clock, and instinctively a hand moves to grab her weapon where it should be by her side. Or, where it would be if she had been asleep back during her time in the White Fang - never know when you'd need it, or have to run. In the second for her to realise where she is and the fact her weapon is across the room on one of the desks, her eyes adjust to the dark and the source of what had woken her comes into focus...

Weiss, holding up her covers and shuffling onto the bed next to her. The other girl tucks herself into Ilia's chest like she had done earlier that day, Ilia wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer even as a laugh breathes itself from her lips.

"Weiss... what are you doing?"

Weiss doesn't answer her until she's satisfied with being sufficiently cuddled by Ilia, face-first against Ilia's chest with a happy sigh. "I felt lonely, and you've been in my bed now. It's called 'balance'."

"Mhmm. I'm not sure I follow that logic."

"How convenient then that I don't need you to."

Trying not to laugh at the fact Weiss is still snarking away even as she snuggles her way into Ilia's bed without an invitation, Ilia just shakes her head. Weiss can certainly feel her do so, but she says nothing and breathes a happy little sound into Ilia's chest. She's not quite far enough down to be motorboating Ilia thankfully - not that Ilia really has enough titty for that to be an option, but still. It's a consideration.

"Whatever you say, Schnee."

Weiss still feels so very good to hold, fitting nicely in Ilia's arms in a way that's definitely a thought for a more awake mind, and try as she might, they both know any complaining is just for show. Actions speak louder than words after all, and she quite happily let Weiss into her bed.

Uninvited and unprompted, once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her second wake-up call that day is significantly less pleasant than the first, the flash of a camera assaulting her eyelids where the cold Solitas sunshine hadn't quite managed to reach them yet. A grumble comes from the girl in her arms, Weiss retreating even further into the bed than she already had been and most certainly pressing her face against Ilia's cleavage this time and deciding that's where she's staying. Whether or not she realises her position is something that Ilia is _absolutely_ not willing to draw attention to at the moment, considering who she suspects has just taken the photo of them both.

Cracking an eye open to glare at the offender, it's exactly who she had expected would do something so annoying to her - Blake stands, smirking around her scroll as she appraises her fresh new candid. And thanks to their conversation back in Terra and Saphron's place, Ilia is aware that _that_ picture is hardly the only dubious thing Blake has on that scroll of hers.

"I'll get you back for that. I think you have enough spank bank material on there without adding me to the list."

Blake snorts a laugh at the reprimand, looking anything but apologetic and notably not defending herself either. "I don't doubt you will. You both looked cute though." Then she nods her head towards where Weiss has mostly disappeared out of view. "How'd that happen, anyways?"

"Just woke up with her sneaking in next to me in the middle of the night, saying something about 'keeping balance'."

"Hmm." Blake definitely looks amused, like there's something else she wants to add and honestly Ilia isn't really in the mood for it this early.

"You're up early?" she asks instead.

Blake hums, tilting her head that way Ruby does sometimes as she looks over the two still in bed. "Not really, more like you're up late. Ruby and Yang disappeared ages ago. I think it's more accurate to say that Weiss' sleepiness is already beginning to affect you, too."

"You sound jealous, Blake. If you wanted to get into my bed too, all you had to do was say so."

Eyes flashing at the tease, Blake grins before turning to grab her stuff from one of the cupboards. "Please, like you could handle me _and_ Weiss at the same time, Little Miss Virgin."

Ilia gawks at her back, entirely offended and with no rebuttal forthcoming; and Blake wholly aware of it apparently, as she sniggers away to herself even before she turns to see what reaction the comment had gotten.

"You literally didn't need to do that to me."

"You're right, I didn't need to. I _wanted_ to. Don't be cheeky to me next time."

"I was joking..."

"I wasn't." Pausing deliberately just before she leaves through the door, Blake allows her eyes to roam freely over Ilia - and she can't be _entirely_ sure, but Ilia can vaguely feel the hangman's noose being tossed around her neck at the look. " _Be careful what you wish for, Ilia_."

Blake laughs as she leaves, not even bothering to wait for the flush her targeted remark draws out of Ilia at having her own words used against her.

_I swear, every time I joke back at them I can feel myself lining up in front of the proverbial firing squad..._

Blake slinks off to start her day after having sufficiently pestered Ilia, leaving her alone to sulk for a few moments with a still-dozing Weiss in her arms. Looking down, Ilia can't see much more than the top of Weiss' hair and she moves to shuffle down further into the bed herself so she's closer to Weiss' face. The move gets another grumble, Weiss looking up at her just in time for Ilia to lean in and press a kiss to her cheek; they all keep kissing her and, as Weiss had said last night, it's important to keep balance.

...Plus, Ilia just kind of wanted to. Weiss is very pretty, even half-asleep. Hell, probably especially when she's half-asleep. After Blake, and her complete lack of mercy this morning, she could use some cheering up.

The action is enough to wake up the girl still clinging onto her a bit more, Weiss letting out a surprised little "oh!" as she pulls away from Ilia to sit up a little, looking the tiniest bit pink when she does and pressing a hand to her cheek where Ilia had just kissed her.

"What was that for?"

Ilia shrugs, the action shifting Weiss slightly from where she's still got a hand propped against Ilia's chest, holding herself up and looking confusedly down at Ilia.

"You've done it to me, am I not allowed to do it back? That doesn't seem very fair."

Weiss remains in her pose for another second - hand against her flushed cheek, and leaning ever-so-slightly on Ilia half underneath her. But then the hand falls away, and she smiles. It's the only warning Ilia is given before Weiss dips down to place a kiss of her own on Ilia's face, pulling away and looking rather more cheerful than Ilia has seen her in the morning so far.

"You're right, that wouldn't be fair at all. And good morning, thank you for not kicking me out of your bed last night."

And, for once, Ilia doesn't flush at the affection being granted to her. Instead, she meets the soft smile being sent her way with one of her own, her stomach churning slightly when it just makes Weiss happier - a feeling she's absolutely shoving away in belief that it's probably because it's early and they've not had food yet.

Yea, that's it. Nothing to do with Weiss at all.

"Good morning to you, too. We should probably get up before Ruby and Yang get back though, or who knows what they'll do to us."

The thought causes Weiss to pale, a feat in its own considering she's already about as pale as can be, and she finally pushes herself up and off of Ilia properly.

"Yes, that's... that's probably a smart idea."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Following after Weiss, Ilia's gaze immediately seeks out Ruby upon entering the shower room - sitting in her usual spot, wrapped in a towel and wet hair at all angles once more. This time, when she looks over to meet Ilia's eyes, she very wisely decides to keep her silence. Quiet or not, it doesn't make the pink flush on her face any less satisfying for Ilia; and it seems Miss Rose remembers very well what happened between them yesterday.

Fuelled by having the advantage for what might actually be the first time, Ilia wanders over closer to where she's sitting - not missing the way it makes Ruby perk up slightly, bright eyes once again looking up at Ilia.

_Is it just me or does she look... excited? What does she think I'm about to do?_

"Morning, Ruby."

"Morning..?"

"No smart comments today?"

Ruby has the decency to look embarrassed, rubbing at the back of her head and glancing past Ilia to where Weiss is watching them both with a raised brow. "I think I'm good. Though if you fancy doing it again, I doubt Weiss would mind."

Weiss squeaks, pink dusting across her cheeks too when Ilia quickly turns a look over her shoulder at her - confirming her suspicions that Ruby and Blake _had_ indeed informed the rest of the team of what happened in here the previous morning.

And, she'd be a liar to say she wasn't enjoying having their attentions on her, waiting to see what she's going to do.

_Talk about an ego boost._

Sure, she could be nice and take mercy on Weiss. There's a lot of things she could choose to do right now, and this little game of chicken between them all - while unexpected - is proving to be rather fun.

Weiss is still staring at Ilia, focus flicking between her and Ruby nervously. As she should be...

Ilia hasn't forgotten the fact that _Weiss_ was the first to flash her.

Taking a moment to consider Ruby's comment, Ilia hums and turns back to their team leader to respond to her - talking about Weiss as if she isn't right there, listening to them both. "Weiss is welcome to come over here and strip me herself, if she's willing to be so bold."

If Weiss squeaking had been funny, then the strangled noise coming from her now is _delicious_. Turning to see exactly what state her comment has put Weiss in, Ilia is treated to the sight of her impressively red teammate as she marches off towards the showers, not even glancing back when both Ilia and Ruby giggle at her fleeing the conversation.

Ruby is shaking her head up at Ilia when they lock eyes again, amused and not wanting to show it too obviously. "I've never seen her turn that red before. Good job."

Ilia almost preens at the compliment, weird as it may be given the context, and feeling more than a bit full of herself this morning - having not only cowed Ruby, but successfully sending Weiss running as an unexpected extra. Allowing herself one last chance to be annoying, Ilia reaches a hand out and ruffles Ruby's hair before the other girl can stop her.

"This is fun, I don't know why I waited so long to join in."

Ruby laughs, even as she pushes Ilia's hand away from her hair. But... she doesn't quite shove it away entirely, keeping a hold of it and using her grip on Ilia to tug herself onto her feet - very much putting herself in Ilia's space as she does so. Gone is the nervous jitters from earlier, Ruby pressing herself against Ilia even more than she had done when goading her against the door to their room a couple days ago.

"I suppose what's important here is that you have now. And you're right, it _will_ be fun."

Ruby holds her pose, near enough to Ilia that if anyone were to come in and see them now they'd likely have some explaining to do, a teasing expression on her face. Two thoughts cross Ilia's mind at their closeness - the first is that it would be oh so _easy_ to just tug at that towel around Ruby, and see if she would react fast enough to stop it falling away. Or maybe she wouldn't even bother, allowing it to drop; it's not like it would be anything Ilia hasn't seen before.

The second... is significantly more concerning.

For every bit as easy as it would be to tug on the towel, it would be _just_ as easy to instead tug Ruby closer. They're close enough to one another that she would barely need to lean further down to kiss her, and Ilia jolts away a second later at realising she had started to do exactly that.

Seeing her stumble a few steps back, Ruby releases the grip she'd had on Ilia's hand, soft worry trading places with the flirty look that had been on her face a mere moment ago. Hesitating, Ruby holds her hand out Ilia's way but doesn't make any moves to close the gap again or touch her.

"Ilia..? Are you okay?"

With a literal, actual shake of her head to clear it, Ilia meets Ruby's eyes with a smile that doesn't quite reach up to include her own, the gesture not quite empty - more distracted, and instinctively attempting to brush off the worry being directed her way.

"Yea! Um, yea-- I'm fine! I'm just... gonna go shower. That's all. See you later, Ruby."

Ruby looks anything but convinced, and Ilia turns to vanish into one of the stalls before whatever questions are no doubt on the tip of Ruby's tongue can be asked.

Slamming the stall door closed a little harder than she had intended to, Ilia leans back against it and focuses on the cold of it pressing slightly through her clothes to settle her. It's not particularly warm in the shower room, and yet she still feels sweaty and flustered, trying to calm her racing heart.

_What the hell was that? Was I really about to kiss her?_

It's one thing to kiss Weiss on the cheek, but a whole other thing to actually kiss Ruby like she had been about to. Like one of the rest of them would do, like Ruby is hers to kiss like that.

...And like Yang had maybe been about to kiss Ilia, on the airship just a couple days ago?

_I don't even know that for sure..._

_Fuck, I need to get my shit together._

Resigning herself to the incoming headache, Ilia flicks on the shower and does whatever she can to stop thinking about the increasing weirdness going on between them all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ilia ends up tagging along with Ruby and Penny that day, helping with one of the supply runs for the Amity project. She had tried to keep her distance from Ruby a little after the moment between them that morning, but that had seemingly only spurned Ruby further in her objective to figure out why she had borderline freaked out earlier.

Just as Ilia had been about to volunteer to go with Blake and Yang, Weiss had cut her off and done so herself; leaving Ilia with an expecting looking Ruby, and the sneaking suspicion that Weiss had, in fact, been in on whatever plan Ruby had devised to ensure they were together for the day.

It's not quite so bad as she was braced for though, probably thanks to the excitable presence of Penny between Ilia and Ruby like a buffer as they drive through the tundra. Both of the redheads to her right are deep in a conversation about Penny's relationship with Winter, Ruby intent on prying as much information from her friend about that topic as she can seemingly get.

That it is also simultaneously protecting Ilia from her own interrogation is just a happy little bonus.

They're closing in on their location when Ilia's attention is pulled to the side of the path they're trundling along, waking her up from the half-doze she had been slipping into.

_For a second there I thought I saw..._

Motion at the corner of her eye had drawn her gaze out of the window, but with how heavily it's snowing it could have just been her mind playing tricks on her. Nothing becomes apparent even as she remains scanning out the window, and before long they've passed the point without issue. Still, she sits up properly to be more aware - Ruby and Penny are still gabbing away to each other, and not really paying much attention to anything else.

Someone might as well be doing their job, and she's fine with it having to be her. It'll give her something else to think about.

And that something does come; not even a hundred metres have passed before she makes out a figure standing on the road up ahead of them. They're familiar, and it takes her a long second to place a name to the face.

_Is that... Robyn Hill?_

"Uh, guys? We might have trouble."

Clover calls to the drone driving to halt their vehicle, he and Qrow moving to peer over Ilia's shoulders out the front of the truck, before he turns to look at Ilia.

"Who--"

"It's Robyn."

Immediately he sighs, heavy in his chest and sounding very much like this is not the first time he's had to deal with this specific inconvenience.

"Grab your weapons and come with me, I'll speak to her. Hopefully we can do this without it becoming a fight. Penny, you stay. We might need an element of surprise. Watch our six."

"I will plan for six possible outcomes!"

As one, they all give Penny a weird look for the 'assurance' and move to follow after Clover as he approaches Robyn on foot - just as a sheep faunus reveals herself from one of the boulders nearby, and places herself protectively by Robyn's side. An interesting action, and something that captures Ilia's curiosity immediately.

_Huh, at least she seems to be a friend of the faunus then, if one of us is so willing to protect her. That's something._

"Robyn! Well, if it isn't Mantle's hometown hero. Is there a reason you're blocking an official military transport?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robyn shows exactly zero signs of backing down and letting them past, but it's not until she extends a hand towards Clover that Ilia's interest is truly peaked - Clover shifting back and away from her hand as she taunts him to take it.

"I'm gonna have to pass on that."

_Why is she wanting to take his hand? That's pretty weird._

But then Robyn's focus scans from Clover, the look on her face a tad on the cocky side and her hand still held out expectantly, as she flicks her eyes over the rest of their group. Ruby and Ilia are almost shoulder-to-shoulder with one another and that seems to almost amuse her, an eyebrow raising at them both.

"How 'bout you, pipsqueak? Freckles? Either of you want to tell me why Mantle's being put at risk for Ironwood's pet project?"

The two of them glance at each other at being addressed, before Clover moves over to block Robyn's view of them both and force her attention back to him. That's when the words properly register, and grant Ilia a second to be annoyed.

_"Freckles"? Who just gives out nicknames like that?_

But then the hypocrisy stick whacks Ilia right across the back of her head at realising, well... she does. She nicknames people all the time, and is usually a little more rude about it when doing so. Compared to some of the ones Ilia's given other people, Robyn's one for her isn't _too_ bad.

_Is this what they call 'karma'? Gotta say, I'm not a fan._

Robyn and Clover had remained arguing with each other, Robyn refusing to move out of their way until suddenly Penny had flew up out of the back of the truck and landed on top of it, her swords levitating around her.

"Robyn Hill. I would like to politely ask that you call off the Huntresses approaching the rear of the truck."

Holding her stance for another tense second, Robyn eventually cracks and laughs, leaning back with a cocked hip. "Alright. Joanna, May!"

Behind them, two more women appear amongst the snow and begin to make their way to Robyn's side - and it's with no shortage of pride that Ilia realises she had also been right about seeing something moving off the path during their approach earlier. Once they're both by Robyn's side, the leader of the group focuses on Penny still up on top of the truck.

"The Protector of Mantle, huh?"

"Let us through, please."

Everyone - friend and not-friend - brace themselves for whatever may come from the request, waiting for Robyn to make the next move. And credit to Penny, she doesn't back down from the challenge being directed at her; though, with a girlfriend as intimidating as Winter, that probably shouldn't be too much of a surprise. With a sigh, Robyn glances to the faunus next to her who moves to open the gate they had been blocking before they all move aside.

Clover nods his head, gaze still focused on Robyn who doesn't respond. The rest of her team stand huddled around her, still very much looking eager for a fight; but it seems they'll follow her lead for now.

"Robyn. Good luck at the election."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There's no surprise to found, when she finds herself surrounded by team RWBY on her bed later that night.

Yang had been the first one to wander over, running a hand through her hair and dropping heavily down next to Ilia who had been quietly playing a game on her scroll - heavily enough to jostle the whole bunk, and Ilia is at least partially sure it was intentional. The grin on Yang's face upon receiving a bemused look for it only further reinforces that belief.

"Yo, lizard girl. How's it going?"

Ilia just shakes her head, a slight grin forcing its way onto her face even as she returns to her game. "I don't much like that nickname, you know. You shouldn't call me that."

"I guess, but I've yet to see exactly what you're gonna do to stop me. Despite your threats, I've still not been whipped by you." Yang winks at her when she looks back up, and then reaches out to swipe the scroll from her hand and toss it down the bunk near Ilia's feet.

_Obviously_ , she's in a mood to be annoying tonight. And Ilia is begrudging to play into her game, even if it may only be because she knows that a lack of reaction is the most annoying thing she can do back.

"Oh, so you're not content just bullying Ruby and Weiss now? I see how it is, and I'm flattered. Sorry to say, but there's no paint here for you to go dipping my pigtails in."

The sarcasm gets a laugh, Yang settling after a moment and looking unusually bashful. "Actually, I did come over for a reason."

"Is it that you're just wanting attention?"

"Not quite, though I do enjoy attention. Fancy a relationship upgrade?"

Even knowing that Yang had most likely chosen her words to provoke a response, they still peak Ilia's interest and she raises a brow at the other girl for clarification.

"Would you do another braid in my hair? I got mud in it and had to take out my old one."

Weiss glances over their way from where she'd been brushing her own hair in one of the mirrors, smirking at the two of them. "Look at you two getting cozy, it's about time. Careful Ilia, first you're playing with her hair and before you know it you're playing with something else."

_Oh my fucking god, Weiss. Do not blush for fucks sake, don't let them know how much they're affecting you._

"Zip it, Schnee. No one asked for your opinion."

Weiss laughs at the snippy response from Yang, dropping the brush she'd been using onto the desk and joining them both on the bed.

"True, but I still like giving it." Then she winks at Yang herself, goading her right back. "And you like taking it, so quit talking big."

Ilia is just frozen on her bed, watching this weird interaction go on right in front of her with held breath. Honestly, she'd be surprised if they actually even remember she's there.

A part of her is hoping they do forget, and continue to escalate.

_Quit being a perv._

But Ruby, ever the sane one between the two of them, moves and positions herself right in the middle of them both before Yang can return fire, and curls up in Weiss' lap like the world's most adorable lapdog. Weiss wraps her arms around her even as she continues staring at Yang with a tauntingly raised brow, and doesn't stop until Ruby leans into kiss her.

The distraction is a super effective, and Yang rolls her eyes before turning back to Ilia expectantly.

_What is she loo-- oh right, the braid._

"Yea, I'll do it for you. Turn around."

Just as she begins to braid Yang's hair, ignoring the happy little skip of her heart at being allowed to, Blake slots herself in next to Ilia and starts to unravel the one in her own hair. Pausing with her fingers in Yang's hair, Ilia gives her a questioning look for it.

Blake doesn't even look up. "Yours is looking a bit messy, figured I'd keep the train going."

And Ilia knows Blake enough to know that she is _absolutely_ aware of the other connotation of what she's just said, but neither of them are willing to be the one to admit to having their heads in the gutter like that. Not even when Blake does flick her gaze up to catch Ilia's for a second, a twinkle in her eye before returning to her task.

_You're honestly so gross sometimes, how do I have a crush on you?_

Eventually the braids are done, and Ilia does her best to ignore the fact that Blake continues playing with her hair afterwards while she finishes up the last of Yang's one. Like she had done with Weiss' back in Argus, Ilia drapes it over Yang's shoulder when she's done so the other girl can see it.

And if the big smile in response had happened to make her heart skip another beat, no one needs to know.

"Thanks, Ilia. It looks good. Way better than Ruby's."

"Ugh, leave me aloneee."

The whining successfully gets giggles out of them all, Yang turning an affectionate smile Ruby's way and leaning over to place a slightly less wet kiss on her cheek than she had the other night.

"I'm kidding, yours was fine. I just like busting your balls."

"I know, but you could be nicer to me too."

"I pick my moments."

Seeing them both actually being nice to each other for once is almost enough to be a shock, and Ilia is half ready to ask where the real Yang and Ruby have gone. But she also doesn't want to be the one to ruin this rare moment, content to watch them be cute together.

If Ilia had thought she'd gotten off the hook earlier, well... life clearly has other plans for her that night when Ruby hesitates on her bed instead of following the rest of their team when they disperse to head to their own beds. In a show of nerves that Ilia can't really place seeing on her so far, Ruby fidgets with the hem of her pyjama top for a moment before shyly looking up to meet Ilia's eyes.

"Can I sleep in with you tonight? You don't need to say yes if you really don't want me to, I just..." She trails off, appearing to rethink whatever she had been about to say. "It doesn't feel right leaving you out."

And she really, _really_ should say no, but she doesn't want to worry Ruby anymore than she already seems to be. Ilia can hardly blame her for it, after being so weird towards her in the showers earlier.

_I'm pretty sure you know how hard it is to say no to you, Ruby._

"Yea, okay."

Ruby perks up fast at her acceptance, hopeful big eyes staring right into Ilia's very soul. "Really? Are you sure?"

Smile pressing onto her face before she can help it, Ilia moves up towards her pillow and holds out a hand towards Ruby. "I'm sure, come on up."

Ruby positively beams at her, taking the offered hand and shuffling up to join Ilia under the covers. And... she _is_ super warm, exactly like Yang had been complaining about last night. Ilia can't find it in herself to care much herself, wrapping an arm around Ruby when she burrows herself into Ilia just like how Weiss seems to like doing.

And sure, maybe she didn't get her usual kiss goodnight, but this is definitely better.

Much, much better.

_Oh, I'm so fucked._

"Goodnight, Ilia."

"Goodnight, Ruby..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes for this chapter:  
> Team RWBY about Ilia's bed: "It's free real estate 😏😏😏😏"
> 
> Things are getting _messy_ , but we're in the endgame now before something is gonna give as I'm sure you'll probably all be glad to hear :p
> 
> And like I mentioned in another chapter's end notes, I think Ilia would have really good eyesight even compared to other faunus - being able to see further, and potentially pick out motion and slightly more colours. Would make sense for a girl experienced in camouflage and spying, imo.
> 
> I love writing Yang and Weiss' relationship, they love each other so much... and then show it by continuously picking on each other. I like to think they both just enjoy getting to be kinda mean to someone who they know isn't gonna get upset, and will do it right back to them. "Affectionate bullying," as Yang called it.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😈
> 
> This chapter could probably have been split into two, but I didn't feel like it ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ most likely the longest one I've done so far; it truly has a little bit of everything in here, so buckle up fuckeroos :p

For the second time in as many days, Ilia is awoken by movement in her bed.

Aware of the arms around her waist, they help prompt her recollection of who had decided to join her this time - Ruby, who is cuddled tightly against Ilia's back and shifting around. At some point in the night, Ilia must have rolled over because she definitely remembers she had been facing Ruby when they fell asleep. The wall in front of her now isn't anywhere near as cute a view as she'd been hoping for; though finding herself the little spoon once more isn't something she has many complaints about, so it balances well.

And Ruby, exactly like Yang had complained about, continues fidgeting around behind her while Ilia is content to wait for her to settle. She's still so nicely warm, especially with the early morning cold seeping into the room around them, and Ilia is loathe to give it up quite yet.

Thinking Ruby had just been wiggling around to get comfortable, Ilia doesn't pay it much mind until long enough passes that it starts to become clear she isn't stopping. Confusion briefly takes hold of her, wondering what Ruby is doing, before it clicks.

_Is she... humping me?_

Uncertain, Ilia freezes still in the bed while Ruby most certainly doesn't, rocking them both slightly. She's pressed firmly against Ilia's backside, the arm around her waist keeping them close and their hips together. Despite how much better Ilia had been getting about not allowing them all to embarrass her, _this_ is a little much and she can feel herself flush before she can help it - and not entirely from the embarrassment, if quite honest.

_Oh my god, she is... What do I do? Should I wake her?_

The thought of having to wake Ruby and inform her of exactly why she has done so is just out of the question, and not least of all being the fact there's a _tiny_ part of Ilia that doesn't want her to stop.

_I should want her to._

_But you don't._

_But I **should**!_

Something, somewhere - a higher being? The karma that seems to insist on finding her recently? - must have taken notice of her inner turmoil, as Ruby starts to stir behind her a moment later. At once, the movements stop; Ruby pushing herself away from Ilia with a bit too much force as she realises what she had just been doing. With a choked sound, she falls out of the bed once more and lands with a thump on the carpet.

Hearing this all proves too amusing, Ilia allowing herself to laugh at the ridiculous morning so far and rolling over to lazily look over a blushing Ruby - who avoids her eyes, staring off out the window.

She knows she's been caught.

After a long moment of her trying to get her complexion under control, Ruby finally glances over to look at a grinning Ilia, stammering away as she tries to figure out what, exactly, is an appropriate response right now. "Um, I-- were you-- did you--"

Ilia doesn't much feel like taking mercy on her, and an embarrassed Ruby is one of her favourite Rubys she's come across so far. Leaning up on an elbow, Ilia smirks down at her wide-eyed friend. "Did I feel what you were doing? Yea, I did. Sorry, Red."

Flopping onto her back on the floor, Ruby covers her face with her arms and the huff in her words is audible even without her having to do so. "You could have... I don't know, woke me or something!"

"I could have, but you seemed to be having fun and who am I to interrupt?"

Heavy silence hangs between them both until Ruby's voice comes again, still smothered under her arms. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

And as fun as it is getting to pick on Ruby, Ilia doesn't want her actually feeling bad about it - especially since Ilia herself isn't even that bothered. There's definitely worse places to wake up than next to a horny Ruby.

"It's cool, you were asleep. Don't worry about it."

_Ask me nicely and I might even let you continue._

Confident that joke would probably cause Ruby to combust, and the fact that it's definitely not a good idea right now all things considered, Ilia tucks it away for next time.

_Next time? Who says there's gonna be a next time?_

It may indeed only end up being a one-time thing, but... a girl can hope.

Ruby finally removes her arms, remaining on her back on the floor as she looks over to Blake's bed and balks immediately at whatever she sees. Laughter follows from that direction, both Yang and Blake's - and it seems Ruby has had more of an audience to her distressing morning than they'd realised.

"How long have you two been awake?!" Reigning her voice in just before it becomes a shout doesn't nullify the way it is hissed over at them; Ruby obviously trying to keep her volume down in the chance Weiss is actually still asleep.

Honestly, Ilia has some doubts about that - Weiss isn't snoring like she usually is, but she's not going to draw attention to it right now.

"The whole time?"

"We've been awake for ages, long before you started up anyway."

Ruby frowns at them both when more giggles break out, and this time Ilia joins in when their leader hops up onto her feet in a huff. Wandering over to the closet, she grabs her stuff for the morning and makes for the door sounding unusually grumpy. "I'm going to shower."

Yang calls at her back as she strops off, right as Ruby heads out into the hall. "Make it a cold one!"

"Shut up, Yang."

Ilia listens to the two snickering away together in the other bed, then Blake gets up to prepare to go after Ruby. She turns expectantly towards Yang on her bed, with an amused and knowing expression. "I'm gonna go catch up to her. We both know she'll be in a mood today otherwise." And then she holds out a towel, which Yang accepts.

"I suppose, considering Ilia never got the job done."

Even lying down as she is, Ilia startles at being so unexpectedly pulled into their conversation. "Wha-- why am I being picked on now? I didn't do anything."

Yang heads towards the door, as Blake pauses just long enough at her back to send an unreadable look Ilia's way. "Yea, exactly. You didn't do anything."

It's such a weird comment, coupled with the taunting expression on Blake's face, that Ilia openly allows the confusion to show on her own. "Okay, and? Should I have?"

"Maybe. Who knows what Ruby would have let you do? Might have just missed your chance." With a shrug, and another out-of-place wink at Ilia, Blake spins to follow Yang.

_"Missed my chance"? What does she mean by that?_

_...Maybe I should have asked Ruby to continue. Would she have? If I'd had the guts to ask her nicely? Great, now I'm really hoping there is a next time._

Once again, the call of the rainbow rabbit hole is beckoning her as she begins to spiral down the path of thought Blake has just unceremoniously kicked her towards. It's only cut short when, in another turn for this strange and unexpected morning, Weiss' legs appear over the side of the bunk above Ilia before she hops down to land on the floor without having to be forced out of her bed.

It's a very welcome distraction, and even more so when Weiss turns to Ilia with a happy smile at seeing her lying there, which is returned easily.

"Good morning. I heard you giving Ruby a hard time, so thank you for that. Which one was it this morning - groping or humping?"

The shamelessly forward question actually forces a laugh from Ilia, Weiss joining in as well and dropping down to sit on Ilia's bed. She does indeed look highly amused, and it's not hard to imagine why that may be - Ruby had helped Ilia torment Weiss is the showers yesterday.

"Good morning to you, too. I knew you were awake this morning, and to answer your question it was humping. How'd you know?"

Weiss shakes her head, an action full of affection and love for what Ilia is assuming to be Ruby and her antics. Who knows, maybe Weiss will have that same expression on her face about Ilia one day?

It's a nice thought.

"Remember what I said about her being consistent?"

"I do, but I didn't quite understand until now I don't think."

"I'm willing to bet that you'll be unlikely to forget it, now." Weiss grins down at her, still a little tired looking around the edges, but no less cute for it. She taps a hand to Ilia's hip, moving onto her feet. "Come on, might as well start the day."

Ilia shifts to get up and follow Weiss, before something catches her attention and brings another flush to her cheeks - Ruby has most _definitely_ had an effect on her, with her behaviour this morning. She hadn't even noticed it with all the distractions going on around her until now, and she only just manages to push the blush away as she gets to her feet.

_Well, guess I know exactly what I'm feeling towards Ruby now. Don't think she's gonna be the one having a cold shower this morning._

Weiss is kind of just staring into the wardrobe when Ilia finally moves to her side, not really responding to her presence until the use of a shoulder is employed to do the job of getting her attention - Ilia bumping her lightly, but enough to draw her focus.

"You okay?"

Weiss is still rather distracted, humming under her breath as she looks up at Ilia. "Yes, sorry. Just thinking about how strange it is to actually be here."

"How do you mean?"

At the question, Weiss' attention drops to the Atlas logo on Ilia's chest where she lingers for a long second. When she speaks, her gaze doesn't move away from it, voice almost sounding... amused? Almost, but not quite - a little too bitter and cold for that to be the correct emotion and Ilia is at a loss as to what exactly it is.

"I just went through so much hassle to leave Atlas, and more than once." Her hand drifts up to touch against the scar on her face as Weiss pauses in a memory, the motion calling to Ilia to wrap her in a hug; but, Weiss doesn't seem like she's done talking and she isn't wanting to halt her quite yet.

So, she doesn't. She can always hug Weiss at any point.

The hand drops away again. "Everyone was so disappointed when I chose to go to Beacon over Atlas. Because people don't _do_ that. They're supposed to want to be here, but I never did."

Leaning forward slightly, Weiss presses her head against Ilia's collarbone - not quite a hug, as her arms remain by her sides, but clearly seeking some sort of comfort. Ilia, of course, allows her to do so, hands lifting to place themselves gently on Weiss' hips as a reminder she's there.

"I guess it's just strange to think that all my decisions ended up with me here, anyway. I don't really know how to feel about that sometimes."

They just stand there together, the words caught in the negligible space between them both as Weiss continues breathing warm against Ilia's shirt. Somewhere, in the back of Ilia's mind, the little voice chimes in without reading the tone of this conversation.

_Full bingo._

And, maybe she can't place exactly what feeling Weiss is experiencing right now, but she _can_ sympathise with having complicated feelings about Atlas. It hurts to see Weiss hurting, even if it is muted and misplaced.

"I get it, really I do. I thought after I outed myself back at prep school, I'd never make it here. And then for a long time, I never wanted to. Well, look at me now, ma."

Ilia barely laughs at the joke, more a little huff of air; and Weiss doesn't laugh at all, probably because it wasn't very funny. Instead, Ilia feels arms loop around her waist as Weiss turns their half-embrace into an actual one. It's a long moment before either of them say anything.

"You don't need to do that, you know. Hide everything with a joke, or a comment. Yang does it, we're still working on getting her to stop. You should know you don't need to do it either. Not with us."

"...I know. It's just easier."

"I suppose. I can't say too much about your coping methods, I'm still trying to stop lashing out as mine. I've gotten so much better thanks to my girls, but I still do it sometimes."

"'My girls'? That's cute. I don't think I've heard you call them that before."

Weiss mumbles something into Ilia's chest, too low for her to quite hear properly and sounding somewhat embarrassed. Taking that as her cue to pull away, Ilia leans back to look down at Weiss properly with a smile and not bothering to hide how happy it makes her to get one back.

_She really is so pretty..._

_I wonder if she thinks I'm pretty?_

It's a silly thought, and not something she's actually going to ask. Even so, Weiss continues smiling up at her and she must have been doing the same back for a little too long as it gets her a raised brow.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. You're just cute, that's all."

Weiss doesn't seem at all put out by that answer, staying happily where she is in Ilia's arms. They've been like this for a while now, and the same fleeting thought passes through Ilia's mind as had with Ruby.

_It would be so easy just to kiss her right now. What would happen if I did? Would she kiss me back?_

But, this time, she manages to catch herself before she does anything stupid, pulling away from Weiss - who seems at least slightly reluctant to let her go, but that may just be wishful thinking on her part.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's their turn for training again today, the girls heading down to the main room together as a group.

Ilia doesn't even notice herself falling behind until a warm and heavy arm wraps itself around her shoulders, and there's really only one person it could be - turning up to look at Yang's grinning, yet still obviously concerned, face.

After everything that had happened this morning - between her, Weiss, and Ruby - she'd been lagging behind and overthinking it all. Twice in as many days, she's had the urge to kiss one of her team. And it's not until Yang decides to slot herself into Ilia's thoughts that an even more worrying fact comes to mind...

It's actually happened _three_ times; Yang only maybe about to kiss her on the airship, but she herself was _absolutely_ prepared to do it back.

"You good? You're looking a bit off today."

Leaning into Yang feels so natural at this point, and Ilia allows it to happen without thinking about it too much. That alone seems to settle Yang and her attention.

"Yea, just thinking about things. Had a weird conversation with Weiss earlier. I'm okay though, thanks for checking in."

Yang remains peering down at her, and it's obvious she wants to ask more about what she's said. But, in line with the surprising amount of emotional intelligence she seems to possess - and only whip out when it suits her - she doesn't pry.

"If you're sure. Can always speak to me if something is bothering you, you know."

_Damn it, Yang. Stop being so sweet, I can't handle this right now._

"I know. Thank you, it does mean a lot."

Yang squeezes Ilia's shoulders, an act of comfort that truly does do a lot to make her feel better, before breaking away again. They've just entered the training room, all five of them filing through the doors to head further in.

A voice calls out to them all from behind, chipper and far too loud for the early hour, and Ilia turns just in time to see a faunus with red hair fly past them on skates. She spanks Yang hard on the ass as she does so, a move that gets a laugh from everyone; even Ilia, who looks around the rest of their team in confusion at the newcomer and the bold choice of announcing her presence.

"Heyyy there, Top Heavy! Fancy seeing you again."

Yang just sighs, head dropping as she shakes it. Whether it's an amused shake or not, only time will tell.

"Perfect. Of all the teams in Atlas..."

Blake catches Ilia's puzzled - and intrigued -look at this interaction, moving over to her side and offering an explanation. "That's Neon. We fought her team in the Vytal Tournament, she gave Yang a bit of a hard time."

The rest of "Neon's" team also appear, moving in front of team RWBIY a little more calmly than their own teammate had, making introductions just as Neon swings around to join them properly. She grins directly at Yang, swirling her weapon by her side as she gives Yang an exaggerated once over.

"Ready for round two, beautiful? I'm looking forward to cracking _you_ over my knee."

To punctuate this statement, she does exactly that with her weapon - snapping the nunchucks against her thigh and causing them to start glowing a vibrant blue. Ilia watches as Yang's eyes flash red in response, the other girl laughing as she takes off in Neon's direction, who squeals and bolts away on her skates.

"Bring it on!"

The rest of them just glance around at each other, a few heads being shaken at the two's behaviour as Ruby's bemused voice is the one to break the quiet.

"Well, so much for practicing teamwork."

Another voice chimes in from behind them, this one more familiar. "Oh good, you're already here."

Turning to see who else has decided to join them, Ilia is almost relieved at the sight of Winter standing there - she guesses that Winter is most likely there for her, something that proves correct when that cool gaze directs itself Ilia's way. With a nod of her head in greeting, she moves towards the room Ilia had been training in previously and Ilia dutifully follows after her while bidding her team goodbye - and good luck, if Yang's reaction to Neon is anything to go by.

The prospect of being tormented by Winter is surprisingly welcome, if it means a distraction from her thoughts regarding her team.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As could have been expected, Winter had been eager to keep pushing her abilities; they'd moved on from static backgrounds to dynamic ones today.

And yes, she had again been told to strip but with it being less of a surprise than last time, it isn't quite as bothersome. After all, the worst had already happened - she did end up with an audience last time, so just Winter being here now is almost a blessing. She's at least mature about it, unlike Ilia's team.

Unfortunately though, it doesn't quite prove the distraction she had wanted it to be, and her thoughts insist on slipping to her increasingly _mixed_ feelings for the girls in her life. Eventually, she makes a decision.

She's going to have to say something to them all.

Probably soon, as she doesn't want to wait too long and risk doing something that she'll regret. Or that might make things weird between them all. For now though, at least Winter is one girl she can focus on who doesn't make her want to pull her own hair out.

Well actually, that's not entirely true. She absolutely does make Ilia feel that way, but thankfully for a much less worrying reason - being a stressful and demanding teacher.

Ilia can manage that, though. Like she said to Weiss, she's dealt with worse. Doesn't hurt that she is also hot, exactly as Yang had joked about.

As far as perks of the job go, it's probably one of the better ones.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not nearly as long passes as during their last session, before Winter shuts off the simulation. Receiving a questioning look from Ilia, she had shrugged and moved to stand by the door back out of the room - mercifully waiting until Ilia gets dressed before opening it.

"You should have some time training with your peers, too. A varied training regime is the most effective, can't have other skills atrophying while focusing too much on one. Plus, I want to see how Weiss' summoning is coming along. It's been a while since I've spent some time on her."

Ilia nods at the answer, trying to reign in the schadenfreude that wants to present itself as she remembers Weiss' words about her own training with Winter also tending towards the painful side.

_I hope she breaks you the same way she did to me, Weiss. Only fair for you not warning me._

Entering the main room, Ilia is in no way surprised to see the place in absolute chaos. Flynt seems to be doing his best effort to blow Blake's ears right off the top of her head, the other faunus looking positively miserable at who she's been partnered up with.

Ruby, credit to her, has Ivori very much on his back legs as his weapon struggles to outgun and outmanoeuvre her oversized scythe - as it should. That fucking thing is lethal, and how Ruby manages to swing it around like nothing is never short of impressive. She's one of the very few people Ilia has ever seen with a weapon bigger than they are and, truthfully, Ilia hopes she never has to fight against her with it.

Kobalt also seems to be struggling a fair amount with Weiss - he keeps trying to close the gap on her, insinuating that he's something of a close-range fighter, much like Ilia herself. And unfortunately for him, Weiss is far too smart to go letting a heavy-hitter get too close to her, continuously blasting him back and away with whatever combination of glyphs, dust, and summons she feels like using. Ilia almost feels bad for him, he's definitely being stomped on the hardest out of any of them. By her side, Ilia notices Winter watching this with a small smirk, content to appraise Weiss' technique from a distance for the moment; probably in anticipation of her own involvement in the fight against her sister.

Winter definitely seems like the type to go turning a one-on-one into a two-on-one against her own little sister.

_That'll probably be one hell of a match to watch._

Yang is being given the runaround by Neon, the faunus once again flying right by Ilia's side - and doing something that immediately has Ilia bristling to change colours. What colour exactly she's unsure - red, pink, blue - as the other girl swipes her nunchucks between Ilia's legs from behind as she zooms past, laughing.

"Debit or credit!"

Flinching at being so blatantly violated, Ilia glares after her as Yang draws to a stop next to her side, doubled over with laughter at having seen this happen. Even Winter chuckles, something that does nothing but make Ilia more irritated. Suddenly, she's a little more understanding as to how Neon had managed to get such an annoyed reaction from Yang earlier just by appearing.

Once done laughing at her expense, Yang straightens up to lock eyes with Ilia, gleaming with anticipation. "Fancy giving me a hand with her? You're faster than I am. Get that whip around her and I'll do the rest."

Snapping out her weapon in response, Ilia grins back at her. "Oh, with pleasure."

The two of them break off, running in separate directions to catch Neon in the middle of them as Ilia does her best to blend into the environment around them and stay out of sight while Neon rounds her way back around the room. Yang has disappeared from view, and like Ilia had been requested she charges out of her hiding spot just as Neon skates past, wrapping her whip around one of Neon's skates - successfully disconnecting her tether to the ground.

The other girl goes sprawling onto her stomach just as Yang comes sprinting towards her, eyes red and hair aflame, and forcing Neon to roll out of her path.

Or, _attempting_ to, anyways.

Yang fires a shot from her gauntlets to change direction and lands several blows on Neon as she tries to block them with her weapon, struggling to get enough space to right her footing thanks to the questionable decision to wear skates as part of her outfit.

It doesn't work, and before she knows it Yang has managed to hit her with a punch hard enough to send her crashing right through one of the barricades as a buzzer goes off, marking her aura dropping her out of the match.

Ilia moves over to Yang's side, offering a high-five that is returned - and a little painful, thanks to Yang's supercharged semblance still being activated. They wander over to check on Neon, just as the other girl wobbles onto her feet clutching her stomach.

She laughs, looking over the pair of them as they approach. "Damn, you really got me. Guess that's what I get for picking on too many people at once."

Yang reaches a hand out to Neon, helping her steady herself on her skates just as another buzzer rings out and draws their attention. Blake has finally succeeded at getting the upperhand against Flynt, having seemingly managed to punt his weapon across the room and away from her sensitive hearing.

Looking around the room, it appears like they were the last pair to finish up - Ruby, Ivori and Kobalt are watching from the sidelines and chatting together. Another sweep of the room fails to reveal Weiss or Winter, the two of them having vanished apparently.

Now that the rest of the fighting has died off, they all regroup and Ruby scans around the room just like Ilia had been doing. "Where's Weiss?"

Blake is the one to answer, still rubbing at her ears and half-heartedly glaring at Flynt as he laughs at her doing so. "Her and Winter left together a little while ago. Not sure where they went."

Neon seems to have caught her breath after being double-teamed by Ilia and Yang, swinging around them all and swooping in to roam her eyes over Ruby with a grin. "You handle that weapon of yours well, gotta say I'm impressed. I've never seen a scythe in person, I'm glad I wasn't fighting you. You kicked Ivori's ass into next week!"

At his name being brought into the conversation, Ivori laughs and tries to trip Neon when she skates past him to wrap an arm around Blake's shoulders. "Like you'd have done any better against her. All it took was a whip to take you down."

"That's not fair! I had two on me, you couldn't even deal with one." Her attention swivels from him to Blake, who she's still hanging off of, a hand amusedly flicking between her tail and Blake's ears and intent on being a pest it seems. "Hey, look at us. Put the two of us together and you've got the full package. Not to say I'm not the complete thing by myself, of course."

When she winks at Blake, the room as a whole roll their eyes while watching her making a show of herself. Seems _someone_ likes attention - no wonder her and Yang don't get along too well when pitted against each other.

Ilia had thought she was in the clear after Neon borderline sexually assaulting her earlier, but that proves to be not the case when her attention lands on Ilia once more. She's still hanging off of an increasingly annoyed looking Blake, who does not seem to be appreciative of being touched.

Looking over Ilia like she had Ruby, Neon questions her with a tilted head. "What's your deal? I don't see anything on you."

And it's such a rude question to ask - Ilia knows other faunus can sometimes tell their own apart from the humans, but being the wrong kind of faunus for those abilities she doesn't really have much experience with it herself. Still, Neon should know better than to just ask shit like that.

Though the boys don't seem at all bothered about having Neon on their team with them, so Ilia allows herself to flash red; both showing Neon exactly what she is _and_ the fact she's pissing Ilia off. It doesn't work as she hoped it would, Neon instead breaking away from Blake to skate over to Ilia, cooing up at her.

"Oooh, that's so cool! I've never seen anything like that before. How many colours can you do? Can you turn invisible? If I spank you too, will it leave a mark?"

Flynt and Ivori laugh at this, and it prompts some of Ilia's team to join in as they watch this whole interaction go down. The questions are super annoying, and Ilia is so very glad she isn't on a team with Neon at this moment. Brothers above, she absolutely could not deal with this every day.

"Spank me, and you lose the hand."

That _also_ does nothing to discourage Neon, the other girl skating around Ilia and openly leering at her as she does. "Ohhh, I like you."

"You don't even know me."

Neon swings to a stop right in front of her, allowing her tail to come up and stroke against Ilia's face. "We could always change that, my Pretty Little Prism."

Shoving her tail away, Ilia glares at her for it. "I'm bigger than you."

Neon doesn't seem put out by Ilia shoving her away, winking at her instead. "Don't you worry, I've noticed. Wouldn't mind getting to find out just how many colours _you_ can turn, gorgeous. I'm free after six?"

That finally gets a flush out of her, her team laughing at Neon getting a rise out of her and offering _absolutely zero_ assistance.

_Is she... asking me out? And am I actually considering it?_

Turning to look at the rest of her team, Ilia is a little surprised at the interest being sent their way thanks to Neon's proposition. The reactions are mixed and hard to place, only registering after a long moment.

_Are they... jealous?_

It certainly seems like it; and Ilia isnt quite sure, but it did look like Yang's eyes flashed red again for second there. Taking a step back from Neon, who is still very much in Ilia's space, she knows she is again flustered as she turns down the offer.

"I'm flattered, but I think I'm good."

Neon takes it on the chin, smiling genuinely for the first time at her as she finally moves away from Ilia. "Ah well, I gave it a shot. Let me know if you change your mind."

Team FNKI bid them farewell, heading for the door, and Ilia turns a bemused look at the girls to her side once they leave.

"Thanks for the support, guys."

Blake grins at her, and if she happens to look somewhat relieved... Ilia doesn't have the mental clarity to comment on it right now. "You seemed to have it under control."

Ruby smiles over to her, moving in to pull Ilia into a hug that feels at least a little possessive and wrapping her arms around Ilia's neck. "Plus, you're cute when you're blushing."

Having Ruby comment on that, and the fact she's now hanging off of Ilia with a smug grin, only manages to make to make her flush again.

She doesn't even bother trying to hold it back anymore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's late when Weiss returns from yet another of her disappearing acts with Winter, slinking into the dorm room more quietly than she had the last time and leaning back against the door. When she doesn't move from there, Blake calls out to her and snaps her attention from wherever it had gone to.

She's pale when she looks over to meet Blake's eyes, and there's obviously something bothering her. The expression is enough to draw the attention of everyone, Blake reaching a hand out to tug Weiss onto her bed next to her.

"Weiss? What's wrong?"

Weiss cuddles into Blake immediately, and when Ruby and Yang move over to join the two on Blake's bed, Ilia follows them. It's a little strange to be a part of a huddle on a bed that isn't hers for once, but not in a bad way. Everyone who isn't Weiss share a few looks, waiting on whatever it is bothering Weiss to be spoken.

Not lifting up away from Blake, Weiss' voice comes quiet and unsure. "I... I'm definitely not supposed to tell anyone this, so it can't leave this room."

"Of course."

"Yea, we won't say anything. What is it?"

"...It's Winter. Ironwood has her in-line to become the next Winter maiden. I really don't want her to do it, but she seems to have made up her mind..."

Trailing off, Weiss doesn't finish her sentence; they don't really need her to, it's not hard to see why she wouldn't want such a target painted on her sister's back. From what Ilia can tell, those powers are nothing but a hassle to possess. Winter certainly doesn't mean anything near as much to Ilia as she does Weiss, but even she doesn't much like the idea of Winter having them.

From looks on her team's faces, they're thinking much along the same lines as Ilia - Blake frowning into Weiss' hair even as she presses a kiss there.

"I'm guessing you tried to talk her out of it?"

"Yea, she wouldn't listen. Not like she ever does." Bitterness tinges the words, ugly in a way rarely heard from Weiss - and only more jarring for the fact it's Winter they're directed at. Though, it may actually be _because_ it's Winter she's talking about, and the no-doubt additional emotions involved.

Yang sighs, shuffling up the bed to position herself next to where Blake and Weiss are still huddled together, leaning in to wrap them both in a hug.

"There's nothing you can do if she's made up her mind. I'm sure Winter has thought her decision through, I doubt she'd agree if she was anything less than certain."

Weiss huffs, sounding a little teary and more than a bit choked up. "I just don't get why she never listens to me. I begged her not to do it. I told her what Pyrrha got sucked into because of those fucking powers, and it literally didn't even make her think twice about it."

At the mention of their fallen friend, a heavy silence settles between them all at realising Weiss has a very real, and _experienced_ , reason to be so upset. It was Ozpin nominating Pyrrha for Fall maiden that ended up with her dead, in the end.

And now Ironwood is about to do exactly the same thing with Winter.

"Winter is _not_ going to be another Pyrrha."

Spoken so seriously, more seriously than Ilia has heard from Ruby at all until now, the words spur all attention to her. Even Weiss breaks away from Blake, to look curiously over at her - and the solemn expression on her face as she frowns a hole into the blanket underneath her. Ruby must feel them all staring, as she sighs and appears to shake away whatever thought she's having to meet Weiss' eyes.

"Pyrrha kept everything to herself. Maybe if she hadn't, she'd still be here. But Winter told you, and you've told us. I'm gonna go ahead and guess that Penny most likely knows about it all too, and I can't see her letting Winter out of her sight if she goes through with this. Winter isn't going to be alone like Pyrrha was."

Blake nods at what Ruby has said, turning her gaze to Weiss still in her lap. "She's right. You can't make her change her mind, but at least she's being smarter about it. She'll have help and backup."

Not answering for a minute, Weiss just leans back into Blake. After another semi-awkward period of quiet, she sighs herself. "I guess so. I still don't like it, though."

"I don't think any of us do."

Weiss makes a sound as if she's about to respond, but her words cut off as she instead lets out a sob that has every one of their heartstrings pulled firmly in her direction, the first tear falling since this conversation started.

"I can't lose her too."

Blake and Yang curl around her at her broken sobbing, and despite their reassurances, there's not much that can be said to calm her right now. They all know she has every reason to be worried.

Instead, Ilia finds herself tugged into the hug by Ruby, who has a look on her face Ilia can't read - and isn't sure she even wants to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How long it takes before Weiss cries herself out is anyone's guess, though none of them are at all keen to let her go even when she finally settles. She doesn't move up out of Blake's bed even when they pull away to get ready for bed - not before finding herself on the receiving end of several kisses, that is - and allows Blake to strip her and help her into her pyjamas without any complaining as would usually be expected from her under other circumstances.

Now that all the... 'excitement' doesn't quite seem like the correct word for the context, but she's not sure exactly how else to put it. Now that it's all died down and they're all quietly getting ready to sleep, the fact they're all lost in their thoughts allows Ilia's own to wander back to the other topic that has been bothering her all day.

The one concerning her, and her entire damned team.

_What an absolute mess. How did I let this happen?_

_What the hell am I even supposed to say?_

Watching the rest of them cover Weiss with kisses had only reignited her thoughts, realising she very much wanted to join in and having to distance herself from them before she did something as a result.

Dropping down on to her bed, Ilia studiously avoids looking out towards the room, not wanting to risk seeing anything else that might fan the flames further. Her thoughts are stolen by that morning, and what situation she'd woken up to find herself in, in this very bed.

And the reaction Ruby had undeniably managed to get out of her.

Blake's mocking words before she had departed hadn't helped much either, dangling the carrot in front of her and teasing her to take it - lest she _"miss her chance"_. Which, who evens knows, she might already have done so. Or, she might not have.

She really wants to invite Ruby back into her bed to find out.

And that's the thought that makes her choice for her, sitting up with a sigh and glancing around to see what everyone else is up to. Weiss and Blake are still reclined together on the bed next to Ilia's with Ruby sitting on the floor just in front of them, chatting away at the other two as they occasionally chime in back. Yang's up on her bunk, unusually quiet for her - she has a bad habit of making a spectacle of herself before bedtime.

Ilia is kind of missing it right now; a distraction would have been nice.

_Well, here goes nothing I guess._

Forcing herself up into the middle of the room before they can come camp out on her bed again and make her chicken out, her moving to stand slowly draws focus from them all. Especially when she remains there, waiting.

"I need to talk to you all."

And yes, she could probably have chosen less worrying and ominous words - no one likes being hit with the "we need to talk." But it's too late now, as she most definitely has the centre stage now. A few glances are shared between the three sitting together, the meaning within lost to Ilia, and Yang moves to dangle off the edge of her bed curiously.

"Okay? Everything alright?"

"I... I'm not sure. I'm going to speak and I'd like it if you could all let me finish, as I don't know if I'll be to say it otherwise. Is that okay?"

None of them speak, all of them nodding patiently at her to continue. It would be funny seeing them so in-sync, under different circumstances. Taking a deep breath to brace herself for whatever is about to come, good or bad, she does her best to be honest with them.

"Thank you, I... It really means so much to me that you've all been so welcoming and made so much of an effort to include me. It really, _really_ does. But... it's also making things really difficult for me, too. You're all so wonderful, and I feel like I'm going to do something soon that I shouldn't and I really don't want to let that happen."

She'd had more to say, but even with the understanding silence from them all, it sticks in her throat and refuses to come up. When it becomes clear she's done speaking for now, Ruby tilts her head in that way she does, the way that makes Ilia's heart stutter because _how can someone be that cute_?

"Something like what?"

"Like... I-- I'm not sure if I want to say, it might make things weird."

"Ilia, we're already weird. Tell us what's bothering you."

"Okay, if you're sure..." She trails off, seeing them all watching her - open and waiting for whatever she's about to say - and her eyes drop to the floor away from the caring looks being sent her way. "I was really close to kissing Weiss this morning, and Ruby yesterday. Hell, I was ready to do the same when I thought Yang was going to kiss me on the airship, and I just... I don't want--"

Before she knows it, she's rambling. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. She's making an arse of it all, and not even properly getting her point across to them all and _oh great_ , now her eyes are starting to sting as she stares down at the carpet. Thanks to her being so distracted, Ilia doesn't realise someone had moved to stand in front of her until they're right there, hands against her jaw and lightly tugging her attention up to look at them.

It's Yang, and just as Ilia is about to question what she's doing the other girl leans down to press a kiss to her lips, lingering there for a long moment while her heart does it's best attempt at leaping clear of her chest.

Yang kisses her softly, and slowly, and doesn't pull away until long after Ilia has lost her train of thought entirely. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knows that they're being watched and she doesn't have it in her to care quite this second.

When Yang pulls away, she just smiles down at Ilia who is staring up at her in shock.

"I... But-- what?"

Her stammering is shushed with another kiss, this one much more chaste and not any less satisfying for it. A thumb brushes over Ilia's cheek, Yang content where she is and keeping Ilia there with her. "I _was_ going to kiss you. Come on, it's time we all have a talk."

Yang doesn't wait for an answer.

A warm hand, larger than Ilia's own, gently takes ahold of one of hers, and tugs them both in the direction of Blake's bed - where three beautiful girls are waiting for them both, smiling their way happily. The same three girls who she allowed to talk her into joining them all on the train.

The decision that's about to change her life, forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes for this chapter:  
> For those of you with an interest in Ruby and Yang's relationship in this story, go read my response to Daxolotl's comment in the last chapter. It explains a lot more about my feelings towards them both, as well as the "ambiguous enabler" tag this story has.
> 
> I'm also super pleased most of the nominations and theories for who would be the first to act properly towards Ilia were off the mark. ;) If you'd paid careful attention, it was always going to be Yang. Yes, the other three have been the ones laying into Ilia the most with the teasing, but that's not all there's been. Through the whole story, there's been a theme of Ilia and Yang being the ones to reach out to each other when they've needed it, right from their first real chat back at the farm. In the same way that Ruby and Blake have a quieter relationship, I think Yang and Ilia would have a similar one to that too. Ilia was the one Yang opened up to most about Blake at the beginning, and Yang has consistently been the one to hang back for Ilia when needed. Even right down to when Ilia was trying to get her thoughts out and confess to them all, Yang was the one who just _knew_ it was time.
> 
> It was always going to be her, and I'm so glad I finally have gotten to give them that kiss Ruby interrupted. T.T
> 
> Neon's "debit or credit" joke to Ilia isn't my own to take credit for, but I REALLY wish it was. I've seen it other places, but it's so funny I had to include it.
> 
> I don't remember if Weiss tells anyone about Winter potentially becoming the Winter maiden in the show, but I find it hard to believe that she wouldn't be quite upset about it considering that involvement in all that very much did end up killing Pyrrha indirectly. So, of course she immediately tells her girls in this story because why wouldn't she?
> 
> A lot happens in this chapter, so as always my lovelies, drop me a kudos or a comment and tell me what you think!


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